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Fungi of the phylum Glomeromycota form tree-like structures called arbuscules within plant root cells. The fungi transport water, phosphate, nitrogen and other nutrients to the plant roots, and in return, obtain carbohydrates from the plant. The short arbuscule half-life results in constant renewal and rewiring of the hyphal network and competition between potential fungal partners.
In this Review, Edward Ruby examines five widely investigated systems that describe the morphology, behaviour, ecology and evolution of symbiotic partners. This descriptive foundation allows the correct questions to be framed in a biologically relevant context.
Chemosynthetic symbioses occur in a wide range of ocean habitats, from deep-sea vents and cold seeps to whale falls and shallow-water sediments. This Review reveals the diversity and complexity of these symbioses, some of which include multiple symbiotic partners.
Hydrothermal vent systems, which can support life in the absence of photosynthesis, are today inhabited by animals that form symbioses with lithoautotrophic microorganisms from which they obtain chemical energy. These hydrothermal systems might resemble the earliest microbial ecosystems on the Earth. Here, Martin, Baross, Kelley and Russell review how understanding these complex systems might inform our understanding of the origins of life itself.
The functions of dendritic cells during malaria have been the subject of intensive investigations, the results of which have been controversial. Here, Michelle Wykes and Michael Good propose that the species and strain ofPlasmodiumare some of the key factors that affect dendritic cell function.
Bacterial microcompartments consist of a protein shell that encapsulates enzymes to form an 'organelle'. Recent structural analyses have begun to provide insights into how one of these microcompartments, the carboxysome, which houses ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBisCO) and carbonic anhydrase, is built. This Review describes the structure and function of bacterial microcompartments by focusing on carboxysomes.
The ability to sense contact with an appropriate surface contributes to the ability of fungal pathogens such asMagnaporthe grisea and Candida albicansto cause disease in their respective hosts. This Review discusses molecular mechanisms of mechanosensitivity, the proteins involved and their putative roles in fungal contact sensing.
What makes the human body a good growth medium for bacterial pathogens? In this Review, Brown, Palmer and Whiteley outline how the host growth environment affects disease and discuss the potential for targeting host metabolic pathways for therapeutic development.
Using the process of carbon catabolite repression (CCR), bacteria control gene expression and protein activity to preferentially metabolize the carbon sources that are most easily accessible and allow fastest growth. Recent findings have provided new insight into the mechanisms that different bacteria use to control CCR.
The nanoscale analysis of microbial cells using atomic force microscopy (AFM) is emerging as an exciting, rapidly evolving research field. Specifically, AFM allows us to address fundamental microbiological questions by observing membrane proteins and live cells at high resolution.
Central nervous system infections are an important cause of morbidity and mortality. Here, Kwang Sik Kim summarizes our current understanding of the mechanisms that are involved in traversal of the blood–brain barrier by selected meningitis-causing microorganisms.
Microbial bioenergy could be used to generate large amounts of carbon-neutral alternatives to fossil fuels. This article discusses the contribution of genomic resources to the generation of bioenergy by bacteria and archaea.
The shewanellae are masters of metabolism and can catabolize numerous carbon sources either aerobically or anaerobically using a range of electron acceptors. Ubiquitous among microbial communities from marine to soil environments, this genus is important in carbon cycling and bioremediation. Systems-biology approaches could shed new light on the ecophysiology of these bacteria.
In recent years, the interactions between viruses and cellular metabolism have become a topic of great interest. Viral infections that disrupt liver function can be accompanied by changes in iron homeostasis, and iron loading of the liver can exacerbate chronic viral disease. Here, Hal Drakesmith and Andrew Prentice consider some examples of how viruses such as HIV-1, hepatitis C virus and arenaviruses manipulate cellular iron metabolism.
Oncolytic viruses can be reprogrammed into vectors for use in cancer therapy by combining three types of modification: targeting, arming and shielding. Roberto Cattaneo and colleagues discuss the principles of virus reprogramming using adenovirus, a DNA virus with a naked icosahedral capsid, and measles virus, an enveloped RNA virus with a helical capsid, as the main examples.
The authors discuss a new hypothesis, based on a body of evidence that has accumulated over the past 10 years, that non-structural proteins of RNA viruses, such as hepatitis C and dengue, have roles in virion maturation and assembly.
Methanogenic archaea with and without cytochromes have been identified. This Review focuses on differences in energy conservation during the reduction of CO2 with H2 to CH4. In methanogens with cytochromes, the first and last steps are coupled chemiosmotically, and the authors propose that in methanogens without cytochromes, these steps are coupled by a cytoplasmic enzyme complex that mediates flavin-based electron bifurcation.
Metagenomics has enabled researchers to compile inventories of viruses, bacteria and archaea that inhabit specific niches. Here, the authors discuss the tools that are needed for us to progress to an integrated understanding of microbial ecosystems biology.
In the first of a series of articles that focus on systems biology in microorganisms, Douglas Young and colleagues describe how systems biology provides a new and integrative tool that can be used to probe host–pathogen interactions during persistent infection, usingMycobacterium tuberculosisas an example.
Autoinducer 2 (AI2) is the only quorum-sensing signal that is shared by Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. Because AI2 biosynthesis, specified by theluxS gene, is linked to S-adenosyl homocysteine recycling, determining whether luxSbiofilm phenotypes are due to signalling or effects on bacterial metabolism is not straightforward, and is discussed here.
