Research Highlights in 2023

Two recent studies provide mechanistic understanding of how bacteria employ the Gabija system for defence against phages, as well as how phages use anti-defence proteins to overcome bacterial immunity.

The data of the study suggest that bacteria possess a physiological iron memory that persists over multiple generations.

In this study, Lee et al. analyse the structure and receptor-binding features of the spike glycoprotein from a clade 3 sarbecovirus to examine the risk of spillover from bats to humans.

This study reports a mechanism whereby a Staphylococcus aureus protease induces itch by activating a host receptor on sensory neurons in the skin.

In this study, Simonis et al. show that chronic infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa leads to development of neutralizing antibodies that could be exploited to fight against this pathogen.

In this study, Wang et al. show that bacterium-derived intestinal ammonia modulates glutamine production in the mouse brain and reduces stress-induced depressive-like behaviour.

This study provides evidence for a role of Anopheles stephensi in driving urban malaria outbreaks.

This study reports the identification of an archaeal virus Acr protein that blocks the dissociation of the target RNA from the type III-B CRISPR–Cas effector complex, which prevents the recycling of the complex.

This study reports that intracellular cord formation by Mycobacterium tuberculosis is an important feature of early pathogenesis.

In this study, Yan et al. developed a broad-spectrum protein-free vaccine that protects against infection with bacterial and fungal nosocomial pathogens.

This study reports the identification of the novel Candida auris-specific adhesin Scf1, which, together with the adhesin Iff4109, is a key mediator of surface association, infection and long-term colonization.

This study found that the bacterial second messenger cyclic diguanylate (c-di-GMP) has a key role in establishing host–bacteria symbiosis.

A recent study found that carbohydrate metabolism by gut microbiota contributes to insulin resistance.

This study shows how the bacterium Akkermansia muciniphila exacerbates food allergy in fibre-deprived mice.

In this study, Prasad et al. show that Alcanivorax borkumensis optimizes oil consumption via formation of tubular biofilms.

This study shows that intercellular long extensions promote the evasion of antibody neutralization and the efficient intercellular transmission of chikungunya virus in vitro and in vivo.

This study shows that a gut peptide is active against virulent forms of Candida albicans, thus contributing to the maintenance of fungal commensalism.

In this study, Huang et al. discover Delftia tsuruhatensis TC1, a mosquito symbiotic bacterium that inhibits parasite development via the secretion of a small molecule.

In this study, Sharafutdinov et al. report a single nucleotide polymorphism in the gene encoding the HtrA protease of Helicobacter pylori that is associated with gastric cancer.

This study shows that Haloferax volcanii uses its type IV pili for cell attachment to a surface and mechanical cohesion between cells under flow conditions, thus promoting biofilm development.