Microbiology

An abundant merozoite surface protein of Plasmodium falciparum modulates susceptibility to inhibitory antibodies

1. Isabelle G Henshall
2. Jill Chmielewski
3. Dimuthu Angage
4. Ornella Romeo
5. Keng Heng Lai
6. Kaitlin R Turland
7. Nicki Badii
8. Michael Foley
9. Robin F Anders
10. James G Beeson
11. Danny W Wilson

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This important work challenges current models of merozoite surface protein function by showing that MSP2 is dispensable for parasite growth while modulating immune responses to AMA1, with implications for malaria vaccine design. The conclusions are supported by compelling experimental evidence, including state-of-the-art technologies and well-characterized monoclonal antibodies. These findings provide new insights into immune evasion and antigen targeting that will be of broad interest to parasitology, immunology, and vaccine researchers.

Reviewed by eLife

Lysosomal activation in bladder epithelium enhances intracellular antibiotic clearance of uropathogenic Escherichia coli

1. Kathrin Tomasek
2. Kristina Skurvydaite
3. Gauri Paduthol
4. Allison M. Burns
5. Léa Schlunke
6. Valentin Borgeat
7. Christian Pasquali
8. Mario Romani
9. John D. McKinney

Reviewed by Review Commons

Identifying and targeting the Mg-Fe-PmrAB regulatory circuit reverses phosphate starvation-driven polymyxin resistance in Enterobacteriaceae

1. Guangming Zhang
2. Ziqing Deng
3. Jiezhang Jiang
4. Minji Wang
5. Xiaoyuan Wang
6. Xiaoyun Liu
7. Aixin Yan

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This study characterizes a potentially targetable mechanism by which phosphate scarcity drives polymyxin B resistance in Enterobacteriaceae. The findings are important. While some aspects of the approach are very strong, particularly the diversity of techniques, it is recommended to include genetic controls and antibiotic resistance experiments in order to strengthen the evidence, which is currently solid. The clarity and presentation of the findings could also be improved.

Reviewed by eLife

Niche exclusion of a lung pathogen in mice with designed probiotic communities

1. Kelsey E Hern
2. Ashlee M Phillips
3. Catherine M Mageeney
4. Kelly P Williams
5. Anupama Sinha
6. Hans K Carlson
7. Kunal Poorey
8. Nicole M Collette
9. Steven S Branda
10. Adam P Arkin

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This study presents a valuable framework for the rational design of bacterial probiotics to protect against respiratory infections. The evidence supporting the central claim - that metabolic niche overlap predicts probiotic efficacy - is solid, combining innovative in vitro modeling with in vivo validation, though the model appears less effective for probiotics that rely on antimicrobial metabolite production.

Reviewed by eLife

Simple Sequence Repeats Mediate Phase Variation of the Mucoid Phenotype in Hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae

1. Oliwia Stawarska
2. Aarabhi Ravikrishnan Nair
3. Ania W. Y. Man
4. Luke R. Green
5. Ozcan Gazioglu
6. Francesco Flandi
7. Margaret M. C. Lam
8. Kathryn E. Holt
9. Hasan Yesilkaya
10. Marco R. Oggioni
11. Jose A. Bengoechea
12. Charlotte Odendall
13. Alex J. McCarthy
14. Joseph J. Wanford

Reviewed by PREreview

Mycobacterium tuberculosis partitions the Krebs cycle under iron starvation

1. Agnese Serafini
2. Acely Garza-Garcia
3. Davide Sorze
4. Luiz Pedro Sorio de Carvalho
5. Riccardo Manganelli

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This well-designed, valuable study uses isotope tracing to analyse how iron limitation alters TCA cycle metabolism in Mycobacterium tuberculosis, revealing potential antibiotic targets for non-replicating bacteria in the host. The evidence is solid, providing insights into metabolic remodelling under iron-limited conditions.

Reviewed by eLife