, 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.

, August 8, 2023
Yeast gene <i>KTI13</i> (alias <i>DPH8</i>) operates in the initiation step of diphthamide synthesis on elongation factor 2

Yeast gene KTI13 (alias DPH8) operates in the initiation step of diphthamide synthesis on elongation factor 2

Meike Arend1, Koray Ütkür1, Harmen Hawer1, Klaus Mayer2, Namit Ranjan3, Lorenz Adrian4, Ulrich Brinkmann2 and Raffael Schaffrath1

We show here that apart from its effector role for Elongator-dependent tRNA modification in yeast, Kti13 alias Dph8 also operates in step one of the diphthamide modification pathway.

, July 10, 2023
Caspase 3 exhibits a yeast metacaspase proteostasis function that protects mitochondria from toxic TDP43 aggregates

Caspase 3 exhibits a yeast metacaspase proteostasis function that protects mitochondria from toxic TDP43 aggregates

Steve Brunette1,#, Anupam Sharma1,2,#, Ryan Bell1, Lawrence Puente1 and Lynn A Megeney1,2,3,*

Caspase 3 activation is a hallmark of cell death and there is a strong correlation between elevated protease activity and evolving pathology in neurodegenerative disease, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). These results suggest that caspase 3 is not inherently pathogenic, but may act as a compensatory proteostasis factor, to limit TDP-43 protein inclusions and protect organelle function in aggregation related degenerative disease.

, July 10, 2023

Metallothionein Cup1 attenuates nitrosative stress in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Yuki Yoshikawa1,2,#, Ryo Nasuno1,3,#, Naoki Takaya4 and Hiroshi Takagi1,*

Our findings suggest that the yeast metallothionein Cup1 contributes to nitrosative stress tolerance, possibly as a constitutive rather than an inducible defense mechanism.

, June 28, 2023

GFP fusions of Sec-routed extracellular proteins in Staphylococcus aureus reveal surface-associated coagulase in biofilms

Dominique C. S. Evans1,2,#, Amanda B. Khamas1,#, Lisbeth Marcussen1, Kristian S. Rasmussen3, Janne K. Klitgaard3, Birgitte H. Kallipolitis3, Janni Nielsen1, Daniel E. Otzen1, Mark C. Leake2,4 and Rikke L. Meyer1,5

We show that msfGFP can be used to generate extracellular fluorescent fusion proteins in S. aureus, applicable for proteins that are secreted through the Sec pathway. When fused to coagulase, msfGFP did not hinder the biological function, and the fusion protein localised to the fibrin pseudocapsule surrounding clusters of S. aureus cells.

, May 10, 2023

Atg1, a key regulator of autophagy, functions to promote MAPK activation and cell death upon calcium overload in fission yeast

Teruaki Takasaki1, Ryosuke Utsumi1, Erika Shimada1, Asuka Bamba1, Kanako Hagihara2, Ryosuke Satoh1, and Reiko Sugiura1

Here, we provide evidence that the fission yeast Atg1 regulates cell death responses upon intracellular calcium load in addition to its role in promoting Pmk1 MAPK.

, March 21, 2023

Acetate modulates the inhibitory effect of Lactobacillus gasseri against the pathogenic yeasts Candida albicans and Candida glabrata

Nuno A. Pedro1,2, Gabriela Fontebasso1,2, Sandra N. Pinto1,2, Marta Alves3 and Nuno P. Mira1,2

The results herein described advance the design of new anti-Candida therapies based on probiotics, in particular, those based on vaginal lactobacilli species, helping to reduce the significant burden that infections caused by Candida have today in human health.

, March 8, 2023
D-Serine reduces the expression of the cytopathic genotoxin colibactin

D-Serine reduces the expression of the cytopathic genotoxin colibactin

Jennifer C. Hallam1,#, Sofia Sandalli1,#, Iris Floria1, Natasha C. A. Turner1, Min Tang-Fichaux2, Eric Oswald2,3, Nicky O’Boyle1,4 and Andrew J. Roe1

Sensing and responding to environmental cues and signalling molecules is crucial for bacterial survival. In this study we have identified a D-amino acid that has a strong regulatory effect on the pks genomic island which encodes for biosynthesis genes for the genotoxic compound colibactin.

, February 28, 2023

A modular cloning (MoClo) toolkit for reliable intracellular protein targeting in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Pavel Simakin1,#, Christian Koch1,# and Johannes M. Herrmann1

In this study, we describe an advanced Molecular cloning toolkit that is designed for the baker’s yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and optimized for the targeting of proteins of interest to specific cellular compartments.

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, August 4, 2021
Understanding the pathogenesis of infectious diseases by single-cell RNA sequencing

Understanding the pathogenesis of infectious diseases by single-cell RNA sequencing

Wanqiu Huang1, Danni Wang1 and Yu-Feng Yao1,2

This work highlights recent remarkable advances in single-cell RNA sequencing technologies and their applications in the investigation of host-pathogen interactions. Current challenges and potential prospects for disease treatment are discussed as well.

, July 2, 2021
Exploring <i>absent</i> protein function in yeast: assaying post translational modification and human genetic variation

Exploring absent protein function in yeast: assaying post translational modification and human genetic variation

Christina S. Moesslacher1,#, Johanna M. Kohlmayr1,# and Ulrich Stelzl1,#

This review discusses the applicability of yeast systems to investigate absent human protein function with a specific focus on the impact of protein variation on protein-protein interaction modulation.

, May 31, 2021
LasR-regulated proteases in acute vs. chronic lung infection: a double-edged sword

LasR-regulated proteases in acute vs. chronic lung infection: a double-edged sword

Lisa C. Hennemann1,2 and Dao Nguyen1,2,3

This article comments on work published by Hennemann et al. (PLoS Pathog, 2021), which observed that in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, functional loss of the quorum sensing transcriptional activator LasR in lasR variants results in impaired secreted protease production, leads to increased expression of the membrane-bound surface adhesion molecule mICAM-1 in the airway epithelium, and increases neutrophilic inflammation.

, May 6, 2021

DNA polymerase III protein, HolC, helps resolve replication/transcription conflicts

Susan T. Lovett1

This article comments on work published by Cooper et al. (mBio, 2021), which isolated and identified spontaneous suppressor mutants in a strain devoid of the holC gene, which encodes an accessory protein to the core clamp loader complex and is the only protein of the DNA polymerase III holoenzyme that binds to single-strand DNA binding protein.

, April 20, 2021

Too much of a good thing: Overproduction of virulence factors impairs cryptococcal pathogenicity

Julia C. V. Reuwsaat1, Tamara L. Doering2, and Livia Kmetzsch1,3

This article comments on work published by Reuwsaat et al. (mBio, 2021), which identified the transcription factor Pdr802 as essential for Cryptococcus neoformans adaptation to and survival under host conditions both in vitro and in vivo.

, April 19, 2021

Host-bacteria metabolic crosstalk drives S. aureus biofilm

Kira L. Tomlinson1 and Sebastián A. Riquelme1

This article comments on work published by Tomlinson et al. (Nat Comm, 2021), which demonstrates that Staphylococcus aureus induces the production of the immunoreglatory metabolite itaconate in airway immune cells by stimulating mitochondrial oxidant stress. Itaconate in turn inhibits S. aureus glycolysis and growth, and promoted carbon flux through bacterial metabolic pathways that support biofilm production.

, April 14, 2021

Mechanisms underlying lactic acid tolerance and its influence on lactic acid production in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Arne Peetermans1,2, María R. Foulquié-Moreno1,2 and Johan M. Thevelein1,2,3

This article reviews the manner in which Saccharomyces cerevisiae deals with the accumulation of lactic acid as a singular stress factor as well as in combination with other stresses. In addition, different methods to improve lactic acid tolerance in S. cerevisiae using targeted and non-targeted engineering methods are discussed.

, February 18, 2021

When the pandemic opts for the lockdown: Secretion system evolution in the cholera bacterium

Francis J. Santoriello1,2 and Stefan Pukatzki1,2

This article comments on work published by Santoriello et al. (Nat Comm, 2020), which demonstrates that the T6SS island Auxiliary Cluster 3 (Aux3) is unique to pandemic strains of V. cholerae.

, February 1, 2021

Biofilms by bacterial human pathogens: Clinical relevance – development, composition and regulation – therapeutical strategies

Adina Schulze1,#, Fabian Mitterer1,#, Joao P. Pombo1 and Stefan Schild1,2,3

This review focuses on bacterial biofilms formed by human pathogens, highlights their relevance for diverse diseases and discusses therapeutical intervention strategies targeting biofilms.

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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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