Microbiology

The second messenger signaling molecule cyclic di-AMP drives developmental cycle progression in Chlamydia trachomatis

1. Junghoon Lee
2. Scot P Ouellette

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  In this useful study, ectopic expression and knockdown strategies were used to assess the effects of increasing and decreasing Cyclic di-AMP on the developmental cycle in Chlamydia. The authors convincingly demonstrate that overexpression of the dacA-ybbR operon results in increased production of c-di-AMP and early expression of the transitionary gene hctA and late gene omcB. Whilst the authors have attempted to revise the submission, the model proposed in the revised manuscript is still not fully supported by the data presented.

Reviewed by eLife

A novel mechanism for bacterial sporulation based on programmed peptidoglycan degradation

1. Carlos A Ramírez Carbó
2. Oihane Irazoki
3. Srutha Venkatesan
4. Lauren JS Chen
5. Haylie A Morales
6. Assariel J Garcia Avila
7. Hoi-Ling Cheung
8. Felipe Cava
9. Beiyan Nan

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This important study identifies and partially characterises two proteins optimised for coordinated peptidoglycan degradation during two spore morphogenesis programs in the bacterium Myxococcus xanthus. The evidence supporting the conclusions is solid, although the description of the data is somewhat overstated. After some editing, the paper will be of interest to those studying peptidoglycan synthesis and reorganisation, which is a central aspect of microbial cell biology.

Reviewed by eLife

Bat Dicer antiviral role and subcellular localization differ upon alphavirus infection in two distinct species

1. Léa Gaucherand
2. Hugo Marie
3. Julie Cremaschi
4. Sébastien Pfeffer

Reviewed by Review Commons

Phage-encoded TelN inhibits bacterial Mre11-Rad50 nuclease to protect hairpin telomeres

1. Maya Houmel
2. Nicolas Pellaton
3. Anna Anchimiuk
4. Stephan Gruber

Reviewed by Review Commons

Membrane binding properties of the cytoskeletal protein bactofilin

1. Ying Liu
2. Rajani Karmakar
3. Maria Billini
4. Wieland Steinchen
5. Saumyak Mukherjee
6. Rogelio Hernandez-Tamayo
7. Thomas Heimerl
8. Gert Bange
9. Lars V Schäfer
10. Martin Thanbichler

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This valuable study advances our understanding of how bactofilin cytoskeletal proteins associate with cell membranes by identifying and characterizing a conserved membrane-targeting sequence. The evidence is solid, with a well-integrated combination of mutagenesis, biophysical analysis, molecular simulations, and bioinformatics supporting the mechanistic model. The work will be of particular interest to microbiologists and structural biologists studying bacterial cytoskeletons and membrane-protein interactions.

Reviewed by eLife

Magnesium depletion unleashes two unusual modes of colistin resistance with different fitness costs

1. Yu-Ying Phoebe Hsieh
2. Ian P. O’Keefe
3. Zeqi Wang
4. Wanting Sun
5. Hyojik Yang
6. Linda M. Vu
7. Robert K. Ernst
8. Ajai A. Dandekar
9. Harmit S. Malik

Reviewed by Review Commons

PPARγ mediated enhanced lipid biogenesis fuels Mycobacterium tuberculosis growth in a drug-tolerant hepatocyte environment

1. Binayak Sarkar
2. Jyotsna Singh
3. Mohit Yadav
4. Priya Sharma
5. Raman Deep Sharma
6. Shweta Singh
7. Aakash Chandramouli
8. Kritee Mehdiratta
9. Ashwani Kumar
10. Siddhesh S Kamat
11. Devram S Ghorpade
12. Debasisa Mohanty
13. Dhiraj Kumar
14. Rajesh S Gokhale

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This fundamental study examines infection of the liver and hepatocytes during tuberculosis infection. The authors convincingly demonstrate that aerosol infection of mice and guinea pigs leads to appreciable infection of the liver as well as the lung. A further strength of the study lies in clinical evaluation of the presence of tuberculosis bacteria in human autopsied liver samples from individuals with miliary tuberculosis and the presence of a clear granuloma-like structure, which will prompt further study.

Reviewed by eLife, preLights

Structure-guided secretome analysis of gall-forming microbes offers insights into effector diversity and evolution

1. Soham Mukhopadhyay
2. Muhammad Asim Javed
3. Jiaxu Wu
4. Edel Perez-Lopez

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This study presents an important discovery regarding the diversity and evolution of gall-forming microbial effectors. Supported by convincing computational structural predictions and analyses, the research provides insights into the unique mechanisms by which gall-forming microbes exert their pathogenicity in plants. This study also offers guidance that is of value for future studies on pathogen effector function and co-evolution with host plants.

Reviewed by eLife

A SHERLOCK toolbox for eco-epidemiological surveillance of African trypanosomes in domestic pigs from Western Africa

1. Roger Eloiflin
2. Elena Pérez-Antón
3. Aïssata Camara
4. Annick Dujeancourt-Henry
5. Salimatou Boiro
6. Martial N Djetchi
7. Mélika Barkissa Traoré
8. Mathurin Koffi
9. Dramane Kaba
10. Yann Le Pennec
11. Bakary Doukouré
12. Abdoulaye Dansy Camara
13. Moïse Kagbadouno
14. Pascal Campagne
15. Mamadou Camara
16. Vincent Jamonneau
17. Sophie Thévenon
18. Jean-Mathieu Bart
19. Lucy Glover
20. Brice Rotureau

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This important study reports an advancement in the diagnosis of Animal African Trypanosomosis (AAT), which adapts a CRISPR-based diagnostic tool (SHERLOCK4AAT) to detect different trypanosome species responsible for AAT. The evidence supporting the conclusions is convincing and in line with the current state-of-the-art diagnostics. This study will be of interest to the fields of Epidemiology, Public Health, and Veterinary Medicine.

Reviewed by eLife

Antibiotic potentiation and inhibition of cross-resistance in pathogens associated with cystic fibrosis

1. Nikol Kadeřábková
2. R Christopher D Furniss
3. Evgenia Maslova
4. Kathryn E Potter
5. Lara Eisaiankhongi
6. Patricia Bernal
7. Alain Filloux
8. Cristina Landeta
9. Diego Gonzalez
10. Ronan R McCarthy
11. Despoina AI Mavridou

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This important study demonstrates that disruption of a common protein-folding system renders drug-resistant clinical bacteria susceptible to antibiotics. The work convincingly shows that targeting protein folding can be used to combat multidrug-resistant pathogens, both by potentiating the efficacy of existing drugs and by therapeutic use of small-molecule inhibitors. This study is significant and timely as it informs on a new strategy that is relevant to microbiologists and clinicians interested in combating antimicrobial resistance.

Reviewed by eLife