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Epstein–Barr virus is associated with cancer and implicated in autoimmune diseases. Three studies reveal desmocollin 2 and R9AP as receptors for Epstein–Barr virus infection, highlighting new avenues for targeted therapies.
A deep-learning algorithm unravels a collection of archaeasins, peptides from the archaeal proteome with potential antimicrobial activity and implications for the development of next-generation antibiotics
Discovery of a marine diatom-associated Bradyrhizobium that nodulates a terrestrial legume expands our understanding of the environmental and host range of nitrogen-fixing symbioses.
Phenazines, antimicrobial secondary metabolites, inhibit Gram-positive bacteria by targeting topoisomerase IV, but Bacillus cohabiting with phenazine-producing Pseudomonas can evolve resistance, enabling synergism for agricultural biocontrol.
A mycovirus drives the fitness of the lung-infecting fungus Aspergillus fumigatus under stress, helping it to survive within immune cells, and thus shaping its pathogenesis.
Bacterial prions form amyloids in response to phage infection and induce cell death to prevent viral replication, similar to the processes in fungi and across the tree of life.
A comprehensive assessment of biotic and abiotic features of cacao fermentation led to the design of a defined microbial consortium that could reproduce the fine flavour profile of chocolate under controlled conditions.
A recent study has examined the flow of antimicrobial resistance genes in food production using nearly 2,000 metagenomes, indicating a potential role for contamination in processing facilities.
Two new studies find that HIV-1 can enter the nucleus by cracking or distorting nuclear pore structures, explaining how the HIV-1 capsid can seemingly ignore the size limitations associated with conventional nuclear import.
Zhang and colleagues demonstrate the potential for disease monitoring and therapeutic delivery in the gut by interfacing engineered smart probiotics with a pill-camera-style endoscope.
Staphylococcus epidermidis isolates from the facial skin of human hosts show abundant and diverse mechanisms of antagonism. Intraspecies antagonism is reduced between isolates co-existing in the same host, revealing ecological principles shaping skin microbial ecology.
Updated phylogenetic analyses yield a more nuanced view of the evolution of the DPANN archaea, a diverse superphylum of enigmatic and symbiotic microorganisms with a debated placement on the tree of life.
Different forms of bacterial persistence in Bacillus subtilis are driven by a common (p)ppGpp-mediated switch that depletes GTP, triggering a rapid transition from a sensitive to an antibiotic-recalcitrant state.
Investigations in wild bats and non-human primates in Brazil and Costa Rica reveal diverse morbillivirus ecology in neotropical bats and evidence for host jumps.
Viral infection of macrophages causes metabolic rewiring, increasing the level of cytosolic fumarate owing to increased argininosuccinate synthase 1 expression. Fumarate succinates mitochondrial antiviral-signalling protein, promoting its ability to drive type I interferon production and antiviral immunity.
Commensal bacteria, including those isolated from urinary tract and prostate tissues, encode enzymes to convert androstenedione to epitestosterone, expanding our knowledge of microbial steroid metabolism and suggesting potential links to prostate cancer and treatment efficacy.
The AAA-ATPase, p97, binds ubiquitinated bacterial surface proteins, extracting them with a mechanical force that disrupts and lyses the bacterial cell envelope. Thus, ubiquitination and proteasomal targeting provide cell autonomous immunity against cytosolic intracellular pathogens.
A low-carbohydrate diet or host mismatch-repair deficiency promotes colorectal cancer in synergy with colibactin-producing Escherichia coli, while soluble fibre supplements counteract these effects.
Dysbiosis is a harbinger of severe intestinal pathologies driving enhanced susceptibility to colonization by opportunistic pathogens. Type 3 innate lymphoid cell-derived IL-22 harnesses pathogen colonization resistance by regulating the galactosylation status of intestinal epithelial cells.
