, January 28, 2026
Regulation of extracellular vesicles for protein secretion in <i>Aspergillus nidulans</i>

Regulation of extracellular vesicles for protein secretion in Aspergillus nidulans

Rebekkah E. Pope1, Patrick Ballmann2, Lisa Whitworth3 and Rolf A. Prade1,*

This study reveals that Aspergillus nidulans boosts extracellular vesicle production when ER-trafficked enzymes are induced, uncovering how fungi remodel their secretome through vesicle-mediated secretion to adapt to changing environments and biofilm formation.

January 23, 2026
Transcriptomic response to different heme sources in <i>Trypanosoma cruzi</i> epimastigotes

Transcriptomic response to different heme sources in Trypanosoma cruzi epimastigotes

Evelyn Tevere1,a, María G. Mediavilla1,a, Cecilia B. Di Capua1, Marcelo L. Merli1, Carlos Robello2,3, Luisa Berná2,4 and Julia A. Cricco

This study uncovers how the Chagas disease parasite adapts to changes in heme, an essential molecule for its survival, providing transcriptional clues to heme metabolism and identifying a previously unreported heme-binding protein in T. cruzi.

, January 21, 2026

Sir2 regulates selective autophagy in stationary-phase yeast cells

Ji-In Ryua, Juhye Junga, and Jeong-Yoon Kim

This study establishes Sir2 as a previously unrecognized regulator of selective autophagy during the stationary phase and highlight how cells dynamically control organelle degradation.

, February 21, 2024
Quantifying yeast lipidomics by high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) and comparison to mass spectrometry-based shotgun lipidomics

Quantifying yeast lipidomics by high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) and comparison to mass spectrometry-based shotgun lipidomics

Thorsten Meyer1, Oskar Knittelfelder2, Martin Smolnig1 and Patrick Rockenfeller1

Lipidomic analysis in diverse biological settings has become a frequent tool to increase our understanding of the processes of life. Here we describe a method to analyse basic lipidomics in yeast using HPTLC and offer comparison to measurement of the same samples with MS-based shotgun lipidomics.

, February 20, 2024
A cobalt concentration sensitive Btu-like system facilitates cobalamin uptake in <i>Anabaena</i> sp. PCC 7120

A cobalt concentration sensitive Btu-like system facilitates cobalamin uptake in Anabaena sp. PCC 7120

Julia Graf1, Leonard Fresenborg1,2, Hans-Michael Seitz2,3, Rafael Pernil1 and Enrico Schleiff1,2,4,5

Metal homeostasis is central to all forms of life, as metals are essential micronutrients with toxic effects at elevated levels. Our results provide novel information on the uptake of cobalamin and the regulation of the cellular cobalt content in cyanobacteria.

, February 19, 2024
Predictable regulation of survival by intratumoral microbe-immune crosstalk in patients with lung adenocarcinoma

Predictable regulation of survival by intratumoral microbe-immune crosstalk in patients with lung adenocarcinoma

Shuo Shi1, Yuwen Chu2,3, Haiyan Liu4,5, Lan Yu6,7,8, Dejun Sun8,9, Jialiang Yang2,3,5, Geng Tian2,3, Lei Ji2,3, Cong Zhang10 and Xinxin Lu11

Intratumoral microbiota can regulate the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) and mediate tumor prognosis by promoting inflammatory response or inhibiting anti-tumor effects. Our study demonstrated that intratumoral microbiota-immune crosstalk was strongly associated with prognosis in LUAD patients, which would provide new targets for the development of precise therapeutic strategies.

, January 9, 2024
Two TonB-dependent outer membrane transporters involved in heme uptake in <i>Anabaena</i> sp. PCC 7120

Two TonB-dependent outer membrane transporters involved in heme uptake in Anabaena sp. PCC 7120

Julia Graf1, Martin Schöpperle1,2, Rafael Pernil1 and Enrico Schleiff1,3,4

Low availability of micronutrients such as iron has enforced the evolution of uptake systems in all kingdoms of life. In our study, we conclude that heme transport might not be restricted to Anabaena, but at the same time is not specific to a cyanobacterial order and thus might be related to the habitat of origin, a notion which needs to be challenged in the future.

January 5, 2024
The last two transmembrane helices in the APC-type FurE transporter act as an intramolecular chaperone essential for concentrative ER-exit

The last two transmembrane helices in the APC-type FurE transporter act as an intramolecular chaperone essential for concentrative ER-exit

Yiannis Pyrris1, Georgia F. Papadaki1, Emmanuel Mikros2 and George Diallinas1,3

FurE is a H+ symporter specific for the cellular uptake of uric acid, allantoin, uracil, and toxic nucleobase analogues in the fungus Aspergillus nidulans. Being member of the NCS1 protein family, FurE is structurally related to the APC-superfamily of transporters.

, November 23, 2023
Extracellular DNA secreted in yeast cultures is metabolism-specific and inhibits cell proliferation

Extracellular DNA secreted in yeast cultures is metabolism-specific and inhibits cell proliferation

Elisabetta de Alteriis1, Guido Incerti2, Fabrizio Cartenì3, Maria Luisa Chiusano3, Chiara Colantuono3, Emanuela Palomba4, Pasquale Termolino4, Francesco Monticolo3,5, Alfonso Esposito3, Giuliano Bonanomi3,6, Rosanna Capparelli3, Marco Iannaccone3,7, Alessandro Foscari2, Carmine Landi8, Palma Parascandola8, Massimo Sanchez9, Valentina Tirelli9, Bruna de Falco3, Virginia Lanzotti3 and Stefano Mazzoleni3,6

Our study demonstrates that extracellular DNA released by living cells can impact the growth rate of Saccharomyces cerevisiae cultures, showing similarities to extrachromosomal circular DNA and leading to cell cycle arrest in the S phase, suggesting potential new functional roles of exDNA.

, October 25, 2023
Basal level of ppGpp coordinates <i>Escherichia coli</i> cell heterogeneity and ampicillin resistance and persistence

Basal level of ppGpp coordinates Escherichia coli cell heterogeneity and ampicillin resistance and persistence

Paulina Katarzyna Grucela1 and Yong Everett Zhang1

The universal stringent response alarmone ppGpp (guanosine penta and tetra phosphates) plays a crucial role in various aspects of fundamental cell physiology (e.g., cell growth rate, cell size) and thus bacterial tolerance to and survival of external stresses, including antibiotics. In tihs study, we discuss the fundamental role of basal level of ppGpp in regulating cell homogeneity and ampicillin persistence.

, August 18, 2023
Investigation of the acetic acid stress response in <i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i> with mutated H3 residues

Investigation of the acetic acid stress response in Saccharomyces cerevisiae with mutated H3 residues

Nitu Saha1, Swati Swagatika1 and Raghuvir Singh Tomar1

Yeast cells respond to acetic acid in diverse ways. Here, we have elucidated the deleterious effects of acetic acid on different histone mutants

, August 17, 2023
The coenzyme B<sub>12</sub> precursor 5,6-dimethylbenzimidazole is a flavin antagonist in <i>Salmonella</i>

The coenzyme B12 precursor 5,6-dimethylbenzimidazole is a flavin antagonist in Salmonella

Lahiru Malalasekara1 and Jorge C. Escalante-Semerena1,*

Here we investigated why 5,6-dimethylbenzimidazole (DMB) inhibits in S. Typhimurium. Briefly, we determined that the structural similarities of the substituted benzene ring of DMB with the isoalloxazine moiety of flavins is responsible for the deleterious effects of this CoB12 precursor.

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, July 14, 2014

Increased Trypanosoma brucei cathepsin-L activity inhibits human serum-mediated trypanolysis

Sam Alsford

This article comments on work published by Alsford et al. (PLoS Pathogens, 2014), which identified a Trypanosoma brucei lysosomal cathepsin with an inhibitory effect on human serum’s trypanolytic action.

, July 14, 2014

A novel role of centrin in flagellar motility: stabilizing an inner-arm dynein motor in the flagellar axoneme

Ziyin Li

This article comments on work published by Wei et al. (Nat Comm, 2014), which discovered that centrin maintains the stability of an inner-arm dynein in the flagellar axoneme in Trypanosoma brucei.

, July 6, 2014

A non-proteolytic function of ubiquitin in transcription repression

Ada Ndoja and Tingting Yao

This article comments on work published by Ndoja et al. (Mol Cell, 2014), which demonstrates that monoubiquitination of some transcription activators can inhibit transcription by recruiting the AAA+ ATPase Cdc48 (also known in metazoans as p97 or VCP), which then extracts the ubiquitinated activator from DNA.

, June 29, 2014

Mutagenesis by host antimicrobial peptides: insights into microbial evolution during chronic infections

Dominique H. Limoli and Daniel J. Wozniak

This article comments on work published by Limoli et al. ((PLoS Pathogens, 2014), which provides evidence that at subinhibitory levels, AMPs promote mutations in bacterial DNA, which enhance bacterial survival.

, June 25, 2014

Where antibiotic resistance mutations meet quorum-sensing

Rok Krašovec1, Roman V. Belavkin2, John A.D. Aston3, Alastair Channon4, Elizabeth Aston4, Bharat M. Rash1, Manikandan Kadirvel5,6, Sarah Forbes6, and Christopher G. Knight1

This article comments on work published by Krašovec et al. (Nat Comm, 2014), which found that the modulation of de novo mutation to promote antibiotic resistance depends on the density of the bacterial population and cell-cell interactions (rather than, for instance, the level of stress).

, June 25, 2014

Sphingolipids and mitochondrial function, lessons learned from yeast

Pieter Spincemaille1, Bruno P.A. Cammue1,2 and Karin Thevissen1

This article reviews recent research showing that Saccharomyces cerevisiae is an invaluable model to investigate sphingolipids as signaling molecules in modulating mitochondrial function, but can also be used as a tool to further enhance our current knowledge on sphingolipids and mitochondria in mammalian cells.

, June 2, 2014

Genome evolution in yeast reveals connections between rare mutations in human cancer

Xinchen Teng1,2 and J. Marie Hardwick2

This article comments on work published by Teng et al. (Mol Cell, 2013), which, using the yeast knockout collections, provides hard evidence that single gene deletions/mutations in most non-essential genes can drive the selection for cancer-like mutations.

, May 27, 2014

Cell-autonomous mechanisms of chronological aging in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Anthony Arlia-Ciommo#, Anna Leonov#, Amanda Piano#, Veronika Svistkova# and Vladimir I. Titorenko

This article critically analyzes recent advances in the understanding of cell-autonomous mechanisms of chronological aging in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. It proposes a concept of a biomolecular network underlying the chronology of cellular aging in yeast, whichposits that such network progresses through a series of lifespan checkpoints.

, May 20, 2014

Decoding the biosynthesis and function of diphthamide, an enigmatic modification of translation elongation factor 2 (EF2)

Raffael Schaffrath and Michael J. R. Stark

This article comments on work published by Uthman et al. (PLoS Genet, 2013), which suggests that Dph5 has a novel role as an EF2 inhibitor that affects cell growth when diphthamide synthesis is blocked or incomplete and shows that diphthamide promotes the accuracy of EF2 performance during translation.

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January 4, 2015

The emerging role of complex modifications of tRNALysUUU in signaling pathways

Patrick C. Thiaville1,2,3,4 and Valérie de Crécy-Lagard2,4

This comment discusses the article “Loss of wobble uridine modification in tRNA anticodons interferes with TOR pathway signaling” by Scheidt et al (Microbial Cell, 2014).

, August 22, 2014

Metabolic pathways further increase the complexity of cell size control in budding yeast

Jorrit M. Enserink

This article comments on work published by Soma et al. (Microbial Cell, 2014), which teased apart the effect of metabolism and growth rate on setting of critical cell size in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

, April 7, 2014

Only functional localization is faithful localization

Roland Lill1,2,3

This article comments on work published by Peleh et al. (Microbial Cell 2014), which analyzes the localization of Dre2 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

, April 7, 2014

Metabolites in aging and autophagy

Sabrina Schroeder1,#, Andreas Zimmermann1,#, Didac Carmona-Gutierrez1, Tobias Eisenberg1, Christoph Ruckenstuhl1, Aleksandra Andryushkova1, Tobias Pendl1, Alexandra Harger1,2 and Frank Madeo1

This article analyzes the implications of specific metabolites in aging and autophagy with special emphasis on polyamine metabolism.

, January 5, 2014

One cell, one love: a journal for microbial research

Didac Carmona-Gutierrez1, Guido Kroemer2-6 and Frank Madeo1

In this inaugural article of Microbial Cell, we highlight the importance of microbial research in general and the journal’s intention to serve as a publishing forum that supports and enfolds the scientific diversity in this area as it provides a unique, high-quality and universally accessible source of information and inspiration.

, January 4, 2014

What’s the role of autophagy in trypanosomes?

Katherine Figarella1 and Néstor L. Uzcátegui1,2

This article comments on Proto et al. (Microbial Cell, 2014), who report first insights into the molecular mechanism of autophagy in African trypanosomes by generating reporter bloodstream form cell lines.

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Microbial Cell

is an open-access, peer-reviewed journal that publishes exceptionally relevant research works that implement the use of unicellular organisms (and multicellular microorganisms) to understand cellular responses to internal and external stimuli and/or human diseases.

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Peer-reviewed, open-access research using unicellular organisms (and multicellular microorganisms) to understand cellular responses and human disease.

The journal (founded in 2014) is led by its Editors-in-Chief Frank Madeo, Didac Carmona-Gutierrez, and Guido Kroemer

Microbial Cell has been publishing original scientific literature since 2014, and from the very beginning has been managed by active scientists through an independent Publishing House (Shared science Publishers). The journal was conceived as a platform to acknowledge the importance of unicellular organisms, both as model systems as well as in the biological context of human health and disease.

Ever since, Microbial Cell has very positively developed and strongly grown into a respected journal in the unicellular research community and even beyond. This scientific impact is reflected in the yearly number of citations obtained by articles published in Microbial Cell, as recorded by the Web of Science (Clarivate, formerly Thomson/Reuters):

The scientific impact of Microbial Cell is also mirrored in a series of milestones:

2015: Microbial Cell is included in the Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI), a selection of developing journals drafted by Clarivate Analytics based on the candidate’s publishing standards, quality, editorial content, and citation data. Note: As an ESCI-selected journal, Microbial Cell is currently being evaluated in a rigorous and long process to determine an inclusion in the Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE), which allows the official calculation of Clarivate Analytics’ impact factor.

2016: Microbial Cell is awarded the so-called DOAJ Seal by the selective Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ). The DOAJ Seal is an exclusive mark of certification for open access journals granted by DOAJ to journals that adhere to outstanding best practice and achieve an extra high and clear commitment to open access and high publishing standards.

2017: Microbial Cell is included in Pubmed Central (PMC), allowing the archiving of all the journal’s articles in PMC and PubMed.

2019: Microbial Cell is indexed in the prestigious abstract and citation database Scopus after a thorough selection process. This also means that Microbial Cell obtains, for the first time, an official Scopus CiteScore as well as an official journal ranking in the Scimago Journal and Country Ranking.

2022: Microbial Cell’s CiteScore reaches a value of 7.2 for the year 2021, positioning Microbial Cell among the top microbiology journals (previously available CiteScores: 2019: 5.4; 2020: 5.1).

2022: Microbial Cell is indexed in the highly selective Science Citation Index Expanded™, which covers approx. 9,500 of the world’s most impactful journals across 178 scientific disciplines. In their journal selection and curation process, Clarivate´s editors apply 24 ‘quality’ criteria and four ‘impact’ criteria to select the most influential journals in their respective fields. This selection is also a pre-requisite for inclusion in the JCR, which features the impact factor.

2022: Microbial Cell is listed in the Journal Citation Reports™ (JCR), and obtains its first official Journal Impact Factor™ (JIF) for the year 2021: 5.316.

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