Clonal spread and environmental persistence of carbapenem-resistant high-risk Pseudomonas aeruginosa in critical-care units of a Chilean national referral center for burn and trauma patients (2022)
This study highlight the circulation of high-risk P. aeruginosa clones in Chile and underscore the importance of molecular epidemiology in guiding infection control, optimizing antimicrobial therapy, and mitigating the clinical and economic burden of CRPA.
The transcriptome of dendritic cells redraws the boundaries between pathogenicity and commensalism in yeast
Our immune system meets many fungi, but reacts strongly to only a few. The comparison of key fungal species showed that responses differ mainly in timing and not just genes, highlighting the need to rethink what makes fungi harmful vs. harmless.
Yippee-like protein Moh1 links gene expression to metabolism and selective stress resistance in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
This study demonstrates that the conserved yeast protein Moh1 links metabolism, gene expression, and cell structure, thereby altering cell envelope permeability and leading to selective stress responses.
Fungistatic effect of sorbic acid on yeast cells via translational repression involving eIF2α phosphorylation and formation of Ded1- and eIF2B-granules
The findings of this study provide new insights into the physiological effects of sorbic acid on yeast cells, specifically regarding the regulation of translation-related factors.
Occlusal types shape oral microbiome stomatotypes and metabolic landscapes: A multi-omics perspective on host-microbe interaction
This study reveals how occlusal types shape oral microbiome “stomatotypes” and metabolic profiles in adolescents. It offers fresh insights that host anatomy drives microecology which may be associated with personalized oral health.
Transcriptomic response to different heme sources in Trypanosoma cruzi epimastigotes
Tevere et al.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.
Sir2 regulates selective autophagy in stationary-phase yeast cells
Ryu et al.This study establishes Sir2 as a previously unrecognized regulator of selective autophagy during the stationary phase and highlight how cells dynamically control organelle degradation.
Clonal spread and environmental persistence of carbapenem-resistant high-risk Pseudomonas aeruginosa in critical-care units of a Chilean national referral center for burn and trauma patients (2022)
Ibarra et al.This study highlight the circulation of high-risk P. aeruginosa clones in Chile and underscore the importance of molecular epidemiology in guiding infection control, optimizing antimicrobial therapy, and mitigating the clinical and economic burden of CRPA.
The transcriptome of dendritic cells redraws the boundaries between pathogenicity and commensalism in yeast
Rizzetto et al.Our immune system meets many fungi, but reacts strongly to only a few. The comparison of key fungal species showed that responses differ mainly in timing and not just genes, highlighting the need to rethink what makes fungi harmful vs. harmless.
Yippee-like protein Moh1 links gene expression to metabolism and selective stress resistance in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Olgun et al.This study demonstrates that the conserved yeast protein Moh1 links metabolism, gene expression, and cell structure, thereby altering cell envelope permeability and leading to selective stress responses.
Fungistatic effect of sorbic acid on yeast cells via translational repression involving eIF2α phosphorylation and formation of Ded1- and eIF2B-granules
Yoshiyama et al.The findings of this study provide new insights into the physiological effects of sorbic acid on yeast cells, specifically regarding the regulation of translation-related factors.
Occlusal types shape oral microbiome stomatotypes and metabolic landscapes: A multi-omics perspective on host-microbe interaction
Duan et alThis study reveals how occlusal types shape oral microbiome “stomatotypes” and metabolic profiles in adolescents. It offers fresh insights that host anatomy drives microecology which may be associated with personalized oral health.
Genomic epidemiology of carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae circulating in a Chilean tertiary-care hospital (2021–2022): Molecular characterization, resistance-virulence convergence, and clinical associations
Araya et al.This study characterized carbapenem-resistant Kp (CR-Kp) strains isolated at the Hospital Clínico Universidad de Chile (HCUCH) 2021-2022 and explored associations with clinical characteristics.
Sugar-induced cell death (SICD) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae: insights into nitrogen-mediated rescue and apoptotic cell death pathways
Parbhudayal and ChengThis study examined mechanisms through which yeast sugar-induced cell death can be prevented. High concentrations of glucose induced a catastrophic response that was only rescued by highly preferred nitrogen sources and by preventing nuclear localization of specific cell death proteins.
TOR-dependent regulation of the yeast homolog of the juvenile Batten Disease-associated gene CLN3
Pillalamarri et al.This study identifies conditions and genes that induce BTN1 expression in yeast. We show that BTN1 expression is regulated by translational control and by the mTOR1 pathway. An understanding of when and why BTN1 expression will aid in understanding the expression of CLN3, which may be helpful in the treatment of this devastating disease.
Metagenomic and microbiological analyses of historical manuscripts for bacterial community profiling and bacteria-related biodeterioration assessment
Keles and CelikBy documenting both culturable and non-culturable taxa, this work provides a foundational dataset for understanding bacterial contributions to manuscript stability and offers a methodological framework for future research on biodeterioration dynamics in Islamic and global documentary heritage.
An ionophore breaks the multi-drug-resistance of Acinetobacter baumannii
De Oliveira and Walker.Within intensive care units, multi-drug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii outbreaks are a frequent cause of ventilator-associated pneumonia. During the on-going COVID-19 pandemic, patients who receive ventilator support experience a 2-fold increased risk of mortality when they contract a secondary A. baumannii pulmonary infection. In our recent paper (De Oliveira et al. (2022), Mbio, doi: 10.1128/mbio.03517-21), we demonstrate that the 8-hydroxquinoline ionophore, PBT2 breaks the resistance of A. baumannii to tetracycline class antibiotics. In vitro, the combination of PBT2 and zinc with either tetracycline, doxycycline, or tigecycline was shown to be bactericidal against multi-drug-resistant A. baumannii, (…)
Endomembrane remodeling and dynamics in Salmonella infection
Fang and MéresseSalmonellae are bacteria that cause moderate to severe infections in humans, depending on the strain and the immune status of the infected host. These pathogens have the particularity of residing in the cells of the infected host. They are usually found in a vacuolar compartment that the bacteria shape with the help of effector proteins. Following invasion of a eukaryotic cell, the bacterial vacuole undergoes maturation characterized by changes in localization, composition and morphology. In particular, membrane tubules stretching over the microtubule cytoskeleton are formed from the bacterial vacuole. Although these tubules do not occur in all infected cells, they are functionally important and promote intracellular replication. This review focuses on the role and significance of membrane compartment remodeling observed in infected cells and the bacterial and host cell pathways involved.
The small bowel microbiome changes significantly with age and aspects of the ageing process
Leite et al.Gut microbiome changes have been associated with human ageing and implicated in age-related diseases including Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. However, studies to date have used stool samples, which do not represent the entire gut. Although more challenging to access, the small intestine plays critical roles in host metabolism and immune function. In this paper (Leite et al. (2021), Cell Reports, doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109765), we demonstrate significant differences in the small intestinal microbiome in older subjects, (…)
Lipid and fatty acid metabolism in trypanosomatids
Parreira de Aquino et al.This work reviews specific aspects of lipid and fatty acid metabolism in the protozoan parasites T. brucei, T. cruzi, and Leishmania spp., as well as the pathways that have been explored for the development of new chemotherapies.
Using microbial metalo-aminopeptidases as targets in human infectious diseases
González-Bacerio et al.This Review highlights the relevant roles of microbial metalo-aminopeptidases in bacteria and protozoa that could be targeted for therapeutic purposes.
Understanding the pathogenesis of infectious diseases by single-cell RNA sequencing
Huang et al.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.
Exploring absent protein function in yeast: assaying post translational modification and human genetic variation
Moesslacher et al.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.
LasR-regulated proteases in acute vs. chronic lung infection: a double-edged sword
Hennemann and NguyenThis 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.
DNA polymerase III protein, HolC, helps resolve replication/transcription conflicts
LovettThis 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.
Starting with a degron: N-terminal formyl-methionine of nascent bacterial proteins contributes to their proteolytic control
R. Jürgen DohmenIn this article, the author comments on the study “Formyl-methionine as a degradation signal at the N-termini of bacterial proteins.” by Piatkov et al. (Microbial Cell, 2015), discussing a novel N-terminal degradation signal (N-degron) that targets nascent proteins for degradation in Escherichia coli by a new branch of the bacterial N-end rule pathway, termed the fMet/N-end rule pathway
Elongation factor-P at the crossroads of the host-endosymbiont interface
Andrei Rajkovic et al.Elongation factor P (EF-P) is an ancient bacterial translational factor that aids the ribosome in polymerizing oligo-prolines. EF-P structurally resembles tRNA and binds in-between the exit and peptidyl sites of the ribosome to accelerate the intrinsically slow reaction of peptidyl-prolyl bond formation. Recent studies have identified in separate organisms, two evolutionarily convergent EF-P post-translational modification systems (EPMS), split predominantly between gammaproteobacteria, and betaproteobacteria. Here, the authors highlight the recent discoveries made regarding EPMSs, with a focus on how these incomplete modification pathways shape or have been shaped by the endosymbiont-host relationship.
Feelin’ it: Differential oxidative stress sensing mediated by Cyclin C
W. Scott Moye-RowleyMicrobial cells that live exposed directly to their environmental milieu are faced with the challenge of adapting to the dynamic stress conditions that will inevitably be encountered. These stress conditions may vary over wide ranges and the most efficient responses would be tuned to produce a proportional buffering change. A mild stress would most efficiently be dealt with by a mild metabolic reprogramming that would prevent serious damage. A more severe environmental challenge would demand a more dramatic cellular compensatory response.
Subverting lysosomal function in Trypanosoma brucei
Sam AlsfordThis article discusses Koh et al. (2015) “The lysosomotropic drug LeuLeu-OMe induces lysosome disruption and autophagy-independent cell death in Trypanosoma brucei (Microbial Cell 2(8): 288-298).
Entamoeba histolytica – tumor necrosis factor: a fatal attraction
Serge AnkriThis article comments on the study “In Entamoeba histolytica, a BspA family protein is required for chemotaxis toward tumour necrosis factor” by Silvestre et al. (Microbial Cell, 2015).
Toxoplasma control of host apoptosis: the art of not biting too hard the hand that feeds you
Sébastien BesteiroToxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular parasite that is able to infect a multitude of different vertebrate hosts and can survive in virtually any nucleated cell. Here, the authors discuss the article “Toxoplasma gondii inhibits cytochrome c-induced caspase activation in its host cell by interference with holo-apoptosome assembly” by Graumann et al. (2015, Microbial Cell).
A safety catch for ornithine decarboxylase degradation
Christof TaxisFeedback inhibition is a common mechanism to adjust the activity of an enzyme in accordance with the abundance of a product. This article comments on the study “Polyamines directly promote antizyme-mediated degradation of ornithine decarboxylase by the proteasome” by Beenukumar et al. (2015), Microbial Cell.
Fancy a gene? A surprisingly complex evolutionary history of peroxiredoxins.
Alena Zíková et al.In this comment, the authors discuss the article “Prokaryotic ancestry and gene fusion of a dual localized peroxiredoxin in malaria parasites” (Djuika et al., Microbial Cell 2015).
Quorum protection, growth and survival
Ian G . MacreadieFor the growth of a cell culture, one inoculates not with one cell but with a quorum of cells. This most often a requirement, not just a convenience, and most of us take this for granted without question. Here this observation is re-examined to understand why a quorum may be required to grow cells. The importance of quorums may be widespread in the aspects of microbiology they affect. It is very likely that quorums are connected with and have a large impact on the determination of Minimal Inhibitory Concentrations. It is also possible that low cell density may adversely affect cell survival, however, this is an area where even less is known. The need for a quorum might affect other aspects of microbial cell culture, cell isolation and cell preservation. Effects also extend to mammalian cell culture. Here I seek to review studies that have been documented and speculate on how the information might be utilized in the future.
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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.Check Article Types and Manuscript Preparation guidelines. Submit online via Scholastica.