Pathogens articles from across Nature Portfolio

Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli produces bundle-forming pili that facilitate bacterial adhesion and colonization. Here, the authors report a high-resolution structure of the BfpB-BfpG secretin channel complex, which enables pilus translocation across the outer membrane, revealing an unusual 17:17 stoichiometry and providing insights into its assembly mechanism.

Shigella sonnei is divided into five lineages and most infections are caused by Lineage 3. Here, the authors investigate factors contributing to the epidemiological success of Lineage 3 through comparative genomics and virulence analyses in a zebrafish infection model.

A new study by Huang et al. identifies a Cryptosporidium parvum ABC transporter that confers resistance to a toxic gut microbial metabolite.

This Genome Watch discusses recent findings in bacterial mutational hotspots, their impact on pathogenesis and antimicrobial resistance, and how we can harness this knowledge to predict pathogen evolution.

In this Journal Club, Ka-Wai Ma discusses a paper that establishes that phenotypic heterogeneity and division of labour promote plant infection.

This study revealed that typhoid toxin, a Salmonella Typhi virulence factor, causes encephalopathy by disrupting the blood–brain barrier (BBB). Using genetically engineered mouse models and an in vitro BBB system, we identified endothelial cells as the toxin’s primary target and showed that corticosteroids can mitigate the resulting BBB disruption.

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.

This Genome Watch article highlights how genomics and different experimental approaches reveal how intracellular bacteria control key processes of their hosts.