Microbiology

Bacteria are a major determinant of Orsay virus transmission and infection in Caenorhabditis elegans

1. Brian G Vassallo
2. Noemie Scheidel
3. Sylvia E J Fischer
4. Dennis H Kim

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  Using a C. elegans/virus system, this important work demonstrates that viral susceptibility can be greatly altered by the bacterial food that C. elegans consumes. The work is rigorous with solid support for the conclusions: the authors show that quorum-sensing compounds play a role in reducing host susceptibility, and they perform control experiments to rule out nutrition and pathogenicity of the bacteria as the cause of impacts on viral susceptibility.

Reviewed by eLife

The target of rapamycin signaling pathway regulates vegetative development, aflatoxin biosynthesis, and pathogenicity in Aspergillus flavus

1. Guoqi Li
2. Xiaohong Cao
3. Elisabeth Tumukunde
4. Qianhua Zeng
5. Shihua Wang

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  This manuscript provides important information about the influence of TOR signaling pathway on development and aflatoxin production in the plant and human fungal pathogen Aspergillus flavus. Compared to an earlier version, the authors have addressed most of the concerns of the reviewers, including the convincing demonstration of the essential TOR pathway in this fungus by constructing a xylose promoter mutant strain.

Reviewed by eLife

Unraveling the gut microbiota of Tibetan chickens: insights into highland adaptation and ecological advantages

1. Tao Zeng
2. Yongqing Cao
3. Jianmei Yin
4. Peishi Feng
5. Yong Tian
6. Hanxue Sun
7. Tiantian Gu
8. Yibo Zong
9. Xueying Ma
10. Zelong Zhao
11. Li Chen
12. Wenwu Xu
13. Wei Han
14. Lizhi Lu

Reviewed by PREreview

Metabolic disruption impairs ribosomal protein levels, resulting in enhanced aminoglycoside tolerance

1. Rauf Shiraliyev
2. Mehmet A Orman

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  The findings of this study are valuable as they challenge the dogma regarding the link between lowered bacterial metabolism and tolerance to aminoglycosides. The authors propose that the well-known tolerance to AG of mutants such as those of complexes I and II is not due to a decrease in the proton motive force and thus antibiotic uptake. The results presented here are convincing.

Reviewed by eLife

Widespread Horizontal Gene Transfer Among Animal Viruses

1. Christopher B. Buck
2. Nicole Welch
3. Anna K. Belford
4. Arvind Varsani
5. Diana V. Pastrana
6. Michael J. Tisza
7. Gabriel J. Starrett

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  This study is a computational analysis using publicly available deep sequencing datasets and the findings support the models that propose widespread gene transfer amongst DNA viruses. The evidence supporting the claims of the authors is solid, but reproducing the analysis based only on the information as presented in the Materials and Methods would be difficult as the data are currently presented. A Flow chart that details the process would help. This is an almost entirely computational study without experimental evidence but one that has the potential to become a fundamental resource for virus hunters - an activity of increasing importance.

Reviewed by eLife

Rapid bacterial evaluation beyond the colony forming unit in osteomyelitis

1. Qi Sun
2. Kimberley Huynh
3. Dzenita Muratovic
4. Nicholas J Gunn
5. Anja R Zelmer
6. Lucian Bogdan Solomon
7. Gerald J Atkins
8. Dongqing Yang

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  This fundamental study addresses discrepancies in determining bacterial burden in osteomyelitis as determined by culture and enumeration using DNA. The authors present compelling data demonstrating the emergence of discrepancies between CFU counts and genome copy numbers detected by PCR in Staphylococcus aureus strains infecting osteocyte-like cells. The observations represent a substantial addition to the field of musculoskeletal infection, with possible broad applicability and clinical benefit to other infectious diseases.

Reviewed by eLife

Adaptation of CD4 in gorillas and chimpanzees conveyed resistance to simian immunodeficiency viruses

1. Cody J Warren
2. Arturo Barbachano-Guerrero
3. Vanessa L Bauer
4. Alex Stabell
5. Obaiah Dirasantha
6. Qing Yang
7. Sara L Sawyer

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This study presents an important finding on how lentiviral infection has driven the diversification of the HIV/SIV entry receptor CD4. Using a combination of molecular evolution approaches coupled with functional testing of extant and ancestral reconstructions of great ape CD4, the authors provide solid evidence to support the idea that endemic simian immunodeficiency virus infection in gorillas have selected for gorilla CD4 alleles that are more resistant to SIV infection. Expanding the study to interrogate the evolution and function of additional primate CD4 sequences could yield even stronger evidence.

Reviewed by eLife

Characterization of natural product inhibitors of quorum sensing in Pseudomonas aeruginosa reveals competitive inhibition of RhlR by ortho -vanillin

1. Kathryn E. Woods
2. Sana Akhter
3. Blanca Rodriguez
4. Kade A. Townsend
5. Nathan Smith
6. Ben Smith
7. Alice Wambua
8. Vaughn Craddock
9. Rhea G. Abisado-Duque
10. Emma E. Santa
11. Daniel E. Manson
12. Berl R. Oakley
13. Lynn E. Hancock
14. Yinglong Miao
15. Helen E. Blackwell
16. Josephine R. Chandler

Reviewed by preLights

Lytic bacteriophages interact with respiratory epithelial cells and induce the secretion of antiviral and proinflammatory cytokines

1. Paula F. Zamora
2. Thomas G. Reidy
3. Catherine R. Armbruster
4. Ming Sun
5. Daria Van Tyne
6. Paul E. Turner
7. Jonathan L. Koff
8. Jennifer M. Bomberger

Reviewed by preLights

Deep mutational scanning reveals functional constraints and antibody-escape potential of Lassa virus glycoprotein complex

1. Caleb R. Carr
2. Katharine H.D. Crawford
3. Michael Murphy
4. Jared G. Galloway
5. Hugh K. Haddox
6. Frederick A. Matsen
7. Kristian G. Andersen
8. Neil P. King
9. Jesse D. Bloom

Reviewed by PREreview