Microbiology

Altering the redox status of Chlamydia trachomatis directly impacts its developmental cycle progression

1. Vandana Singh
2. Scot P Ouellette

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  In this valuable study, the authors propose a model wherein the bacterial redox state plays a crucial role in the differentiation of Chlamydia trachomatis into elementary and reticulate bodies. They provide solid evidence to argue that a highly oxidising environment favours the formation of elementary bodies while a reducing condition slows down development. Overall, the study convincingly demonstrates that Chlamydial redox states play a role in differentiation, an observation that may have implications for the study of other bacterial systems.

Reviewed by eLife

Immunogenicity and safety of a live-attenuated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidate based on multiple attenuation mechanisms

1. Mie Suzuki Okutani
2. Shinya Okamura
3. Tang Gis
4. Hitomi Sasaki
5. Suni Lee
6. Akiho Kashiwabara
7. Simon Goto
8. Mai Matsumoto
9. Mayuko Yamawaki
10. Toshiaki Miyazaki
11. Tatsuya Nakagawa
12. Masahito Ikawa
13. Wataru Kamitani
14. Shiro Takekawa
15. Koichi Yamanishi
16. Hirotaka Ebina

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This is a valuable study on the efficacy of a live attenuated vaccine that was tested in different animal models and the evidence is convincing. The study has been strengthened after revisions.

Reviewed by eLife

Maintenance of cell wall remodeling and vesicle production are connected in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

1. Vivian C Salgueiro-Toledo
2. Jorge Bertol
3. Claude Gutierrez
4. Jose L Serrano-Mestre
5. Noelia Ferrer-Luzon
6. Lucia Vázquez-Iniesta
7. Ainhoa Palacios
8. Laia Pasquina-Lemonche
9. Akbar Espaillat
10. Laura Lerma
11. Brian Weinrick
12. Jose L Lavin
13. Felix Elortza
14. Mikel Azkargorta
15. Alicia Prieto
16. Pilar Buendía-Nacarino
17. Jose L Luque-García
18. Olivier Neyrolles
19. Felipe Cava
20. Jamie K Hobbs
21. Joaquín Sanz
22. Rafael Prados-Rosales

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  In this important study, the authors investigate the biogenesis of extracellular vesicles in mycobacteria and provide several observations to link VirR with vesiculogenesis, peptidoglycan metabolism, lipid metabolism, and cell wall permeability. The authors have done a commendable job of comprehensively examining the phenotypes associated with the VirR mutant using various techniques. The evidence presented in the revised manuscript is convincing and creates several avenues for further research.

Reviewed by eLife

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

1. Binayak Sarkar
2. Jyotsna
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 Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection using different systems including aerosol infection of mice and guinea pigs to demonstrate appreciable infection of the liver as well as the lung. The authors present convincing evidence that hepatocyte infection leads to metabolic dysfunction that promotes M. tuberculosis growth, in part potentially mediated by a nuclear receptor called PPARg. Overall, this is an interesting paper on an area of tuberculosis research which has been understudied, representing a significant advancement in the field.

Reviewed by eLife, preLights

Reactive Oxygen Detoxification Contributes to Mycobacterium abscessus Antibiotic Survival

1. Nicholas A Bates
2. Ronald Rodriguez
3. Rama Drwich
4. Abigail Ray
5. Sarah A Stanley
6. Bennett H Penn

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  Using a TN-seq based approach, the authors identified the genetic determinants of drug tolerance in M. abscessus. Since M. abscessus is resistant to multiple antibiotics, the study is valuable in generating new knowledge linking antibiotic tolerance with ROS in this non-tuberculosis mycobacterial (NTM) species. However, the study is incomplete due to a need for more validation of the Tn-seq data, inconsistency with the clinical strains, and insufficient experiments confirming the role of ROS detoxification in drug tolerance.

Reviewed by eLife

Prophage regulation of Shewanella fidelis 3313 motility and biofilm formation: implications for gut colonization dynamics in Ciona robusta

1. Ojas Natarajan
2. Susanne L. Gibboney
3. Morgan N. Young
4. Shen Jean Lim
5. Felicia Nguyen
6. Natalia Pluta
7. Celine G.F. Atkinson
8. Assunta Liberti
9. Eric D. Kees
10. Brittany A. Leigh
11. Mya Breitbart
12. Jeffrey A. Gralnick
13. Larry J. Dishaw

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This valuable study presents findings linking prophage carriage to lifestyle regulation in the marine bacterium Shewanella fidelis, with potential implications for niche occupation within a host (Ciona robusta) and mediation of host immune responses. The study leverages a unique animal model system that offers distinct advantages in identifying select phenotypes to present generally solid evidence that supports findings relating to the impact of a prophage on host-microbe interaction. Understanding the role of integrated lysogenic phages in bacterial fitness, both within a host and in the environment, is a significant concept in bacterial eco-physiology, potentially contributing to the success of certain strains.

Reviewed by eLife

DDX3 Regulates the Cap‐Independent Translation of the Japanese Encephalitis Virus via Its Interactions with PABP1 and the Untranslated Regions of the Viral Genome

1. Chenxi Li
2. Linjie Zhang
3. Chenyang Tang
4. Xuan Chen
5. Jing Shi
6. Qingyu Li
7. Xue Jiao
8. Jinyao Guo
9. Bin Wang
10. Kefan Bu
11. Abdul Wahaab
12. Yuguo Yuan
13. Ming‐an Sun
14. Yanhua Li

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This work is a valuable study that presents a detailed analysis of translation, driven by the untranslated regions of the Japanese encephalitis virus. It reports a role for the RNA helicase DDX3 in promoting a cap-independent translation mechanism. The conclusions are based on generally solid evidence, although there are some weaknesses in the overall model based on suboptimal experimental approaches and over-interpretation of some of the data. Addressing deficiencies noted in peer review could elevate the impact of the study.

Reviewed by eLife

Decoding the biogenesis of HIV-induced CPSF6 puncta and their fusion with the nuclear speckle

1. Chiara Tomasini
2. Celine Cuche
3. Selen Ay
4. Maxence Collard
5. Bin Cui
6. Mohammad Rashid
7. Shaoni Bhattacharjee
8. Julian Buchrieser
9. Charlotte Luchsinger
10. Cinzia Bertelli
11. Vladimir N Uversky
12. Felipe Diaz-Griffero
13. Francesca Di Nunzio

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  This manuscript provides valuable information about the genesis of CPSF6 condensates due to HIV-1 infection. However, the evidence is incomplete as it is missing more functional assays. Furthermore, some data on the fusion between CPSF6 Aggregates and SC35 speckles are not novel.

Reviewed by eLife

Surface-mediated bacteriophage defense incurs fitness tradeoffs for interbacterial antagonism

1. Chia-En Tsai
2. Feng-Qi Wang
3. Chih-Wen Yang
4. Ling-Li Yang
5. Thao VP Nguyen
6. Yung-Chih Chen
7. Po-Yin Chen
8. Ing-Shouh Hwang
9. See-Yeun Ting

Reviewed by Review Commons

Organ structure and bacterial microbiogeography in a reproductive organ of the Hawaiian bobtail squid reveal dimensions of a defensive symbiosis

1. Derrick L. Kamp
2. Allison H. Kerwin
3. Sarah J. McAnulty
4. Spencer V. Nyholm

Reviewed by Arcadia Science