Microbiology

The interplay of membrane tension and FtsZ filament condensation on the initiation and progression of cell division in B. subtilis

1. Diego A Ramirez-Diaz
2. Lei Yin
3. Daniela Albanesi
4. Jenny Zheng
5. Diego de Mendoza
6. Ethan C Garner

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This fundamental work provides solid evidence that advances our understanding of the physical mechanisms underlying bacterial cell division by examining the role of membrane tension and FtsZ condensation in sequential stages of division. The effect of accDA overexpression on membrane tension was carefully characterized. To further enhance rigor, the authors could consider examining orthogonal perturbations to membrane tension, addressing membrane tension vs. fluidity, and addressing the ability of FtsZ to bend membranes in cells.

Reviewed by eLife

Extrusion-modulated DnaA activity oscillations coordinate DNA replication with biomass growth

1. Dengjin Li
2. Hai Zheng
3. Yang Bai
4. Zheng Zhang
5. Hao Cheng
6. Xiongliang Huang
7. Ting Wei
8. Arieh Zaritsky
9. Terence Hwa
10. Chenli Liu

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This work provides valuable insights by introducing a post-translational extrusion mechanism that could reshape how we understand the coupling between DnaA activity and DNA-replication initiation. While solid evidence is presented for some of the key results, other claims rest on indirect proxies and could be improved.

Reviewed by eLife

Mycobacterium tuberculosis partitions the Krebs cycle to persist 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 findings provide insights into metabolic remodelling under iron-limited conditions. Whilst some of the evidence is solid, the data around the GABA shunt is incomplete, requiring genetic validation, as was done for the glyoxylate shunt. Questions remain about the underlying mechanisms and their specific role in M. tuberculosis pathogenesis.

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 GF 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 overall 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

Phenotypic heterogeneity in a batch culture of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii with different light tolerances

1. Gaganpreet K. Gill
2. Dion G. Durnford

Reviewed by Arcadia Science

A Conserved Mycobacterial Nucleomodulin Hijacks the Host COMPASS Complex to Reprogram Pro-Inflammatory Transcription and Promote Intracellular Survival

1. Liu Chen
2. Baojie Duan
3. Pingping Chen
4. Qiang Jiang
5. Yifan Wang
6. Lu Lu
7. Yingyu Chen
8. Changmin Hu
9. Lei Zhang
10. Aizhen Guo

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This valuable study provides solid evidence that MgdE, a conserved mycobacterial nucleomodulin, downregulates inflammatory gene transcription by interacting with the histone methyltransferase COMPASS complex and altering histone H3 lysine methylation. There are areas where the evidence could be strengthened, for example, GFP immunoblotting and examining MgdE localization during infection. To enhance impact, the authors could consider Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection experiments and/or reworking the manuscript to emphasize general relevance to microbiologists and cell biologists.

Reviewed by eLife

Selenium protects Emiliania huxleyi algae from a bacterial pathogen by modulating oxidative stress

1. Roni Beiralas
2. Shira Ben-Asher
3. Einat Segev

Reviewed by Arcadia Science

Multi-omics investigation of spontaneous T2DM macaque emphasizes gut microbiota could up-regulate the absorption of excess palmitic acid in the T2DM progression

1. Xu Liu
2. Yuchen Xie
3. Shengzhi Yang
4. Cong Jiang
5. Ke Shang
6. Jinxia Luo
7. Lin Zhang
8. Gang Hu
9. Qinghua Liu
10. Bisong Yue
11. Zhenxin Fan
12. Zhanlong He
13. Jing Li

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This important work substantially advances our understanding of the interaction among gut microbiota, lipid metabolism, and the host in type 2 diabetes. The evidence supporting the claims of the authors is convincing. The work will be of interest to medical biologists working on microbiota and diabetes.

Reviewed by eLife

Mitochondrial protein FgDML1 regulates DON toxin biosynthesis and cyazofamid sensitivity in Fusarium graminearum by affecting mitochondrial homeostasis

1. Chenguang Wang
2. Xuewei Mao
3. Weiwei Cong
4. Lin Yang
5. Yiping Hou

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This important study provides a potential framework for understanding the regulatory mechanisms of DON toxin biosynthesis in F. graminearum and identifies potential molecular targets for Fusarium head blight control. While FgDML1 remains under-explored with an unclear role in the biology of filamentous fungi, the supporting evidence in this study is incomplete. Providing details on methods and adding controls will strengthen the work.

Reviewed by eLife

Genome-directed study reveals the diversity of Salmonella T6SS effectors and identifies a novel family of lipid-targeting antibacterial toxins

1. Gianlucca G. Nicastro
2. Stephanie Sibinelli-Sousa
3. Julia Takuno Hespanhol
4. Thomas W. C. Santos
5. Joseph P. Munoz
6. Rosangela S. Santos
7. Blanca M. Perez-Sepulveda
8. Sayuri Miyamoto
9. L. Aravind
10. Robson F. de Souza
11. Ethel Bayer-Santos

Reviewed by Review Commons