Microreviews, Review
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Maintaining phagosome integrity during fungal infection: do or die?
Mabel Yang1, Glenn F.W. Walpole1,2 and Johannes Westman1
This article refers to the paper "Lysosome Fusion Maintains Phagosome Integrity during Fungal Infection" by Westman et al. (Cell Host Microbe, 2020), which shows that macrophages respond to pathogen growth by expanding the phagosome membrane through a calcium-dependent mechanism involving lysosome insertion, maintaining membrane integrity and preventing rupture.
Milestones in Bacillus subtilis sporulation research
Eammon P. Riley1, Corinna Schwarz2, Alan I. Derman2 and Javier Lopez-Garrido2
In this review, the foundational discoveries that shaped the sporulation field are discussed, from its origins to the present day, tracing a chronology that spans more than one hundred eighty years.
A novel antibacterial strategy: histone and antimicrobial peptide synergy
Leora Duong1, Steven P. Gross2,3 and Albert Siryaporn1,3
This article refers to the study "Mammalian histones facilitate antimicrobial synergy by disrupting the bacterial proton gradient and chromosome organization" by Doolin et al. (Nat Comm, 2020) that shows that histones enhance the antimicrobial activity of peptides, disrupt bacterial membranes, and inhibit transcription, offering new insights into natural antimicrobial mechanisms.
Insights into the host-pathogen interaction: C. albicans manipulation of macrophage pyroptosis
November 12, 2018
In this article, the authors comment on the study "High-Throughput Screening Identifies Genes Required for Candida albicans Induction of Macrophage Pyroptosis" by O’Meara et al. (MBio, 2018) that provides a comprehensive analysis of the genetic circuitry in both Candida albicans and host macrophages that leads to pyroptosis, revealing the impact of altered pyroptosis on infection, the role of pyroptosis in facilitating neutrophil accumulation at the site of C. albicans infection, and the decoupling of inflammasome priming and activation in the response to C. albicans infection, thus shedding new light on the factors governing the outcomes of this interaction.
A comparative approach to decipher intestinal animal-microbe associations
October 31, 2018
In this article, the authors comment on the study "Chitin-based barrier immunity and its loss predated mucus-colonization by indigenous gut microbiota" by Nakashima et al. (Nat Commun, 2018) that used comparative analyses of chordates to investigate the development of animal-microbe associations, suggesting that microbial colonization of the mucus layer over mammalian gastrointestinal epithelium was established upon the loss of ancestral chitin-based barrier immunity, providing insights into the establishment of these associations in an evolutionary context.
Pathways of host cell exit by intracellular pathogens
October 18, 2018
This review provides an overview of the diverse host cell exit strategies employed by intracellular-living bacterial, fungal, and protozoan pathogens, highlighting the commonalities and system-specific variations of these strategies, and discussing potential microbial molecules involved in host cell exit as targets for future intervention approaches.
An unexpected benefit from E. coli: how enterobactin benefits host health
September 28, 2018
In this article, the authors comment on the study "Microbial Siderophore Enterobactin Promotes Mitochondrial Iron Uptake and Development of the Host via Interaction with ATP Synthase" by Qi et al. (Cell, 2018) that uncovered a surprising role for the Escherichia coli-produced siderophore enterobactin (Ent) in facilitating iron uptake by the host, marking a major shift in the understanding of its function and indicating potential new benefits from commensal bacteria in aiding the host's iron homeostasis.
Protective roles of ginseng against bacterial infection
September 19, 2018
This review highlights the antibacterial effects of ginseng against pathogenic bacterial infections, discussing its regulation of pathogenic factors and proposing the therapeutic potential of ginseng as a natural antibacterial drug to address antibiotic resistance and toxicity in the context of global public health challenges.
A Cinderella story: how the vacuolar proteases Pep4 and Prb1 do more than cleaning up the cell’s mass degradation processes
September 18, 2018
This review summarizes the expanded roles of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae vacuolar proteases Pep4 and Prb1 in non-vacuolar activities outside of autophagy, such as programmed cell death, protection from harmful protein forms, and gene expression regulation. The potential implications of these findings for fungal biology and drug target discovery, including insights for mammalian cell studies, are highlighted, emphasizing the need for a deeper understanding of these molecular processes.
The biosynthesis of pyoverdines
August 28, 2018
This review provides an overview of pyoverdine biosynthesis, emphasizing the distinctive fluorophore shared by various pyoverdines derived from ferribactins and the role of periplasmic processes in the maturation and modification of these siderophores, critical for the growth and colonization of hosts by fluorescent pseudomonads.
Toxin release mediated by the novel autolysin Cwp19 in Clostridium difficile
August 10, 2018
In this article, the authors comment on the study "Cwp19 is a novel lytic transglycosylase involved in stationary-phase autolysis resulting in toxin release in Clostridium difficile" by Wydau-Dematteis (MBio, 2018) that characterizes a novel peptidoglycan hydrolase, Cwp19, in Clostridioides difficile, highlighting its glucose-dependent mediation of toxins secretion and suggesting a potential role in the pathogenesis of this bacterium, contributing to the understanding of these enzymes in C. difficile and their implication in pathogenicity.