Microbiology

Prophage regulation of Shewanella fidelis 3313 motility and biofilm formation with 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

Genotypic Detection of Antibiotic-Resistant Genes in Emerging Bacterial Pathogens From Neonatal Sepsis Patients in Lagos

1. Helen Opeoluwa Adegboyega
2. Taiwo Abayomi Banjo
3. Anotu Mopelola Deji-Agboola
4. Bamidele Abiodun Iwalokun
5. Wasiu Bamidele Mutiu
6. Olubunmi Adetokunbo Osinupebi
7. Tessie Owolabi Shorunmu
8. Farouk Adedeji Oladoja
9. Oluwabunmi Motunrayo Fatungase
10. Muinat Moronke Adeyanju
11. Raheem Akinwunmi Akindele
12. Ponle Bamidele Fakunle
13. Ayobami Babatunde
14. Olusola Ajayi
15. Olufemi Onadeko
16. Abimbola Adeola Akintunde Oyelekan
17. Solomon Olubodunrin Ariyibi
18. Kolawole Sunday Oritogun
19. Emmanuel Sunday Omirin

Reviewed by PREreview

Secreted small RNAs of Naegleria fowleri are biomarkers for diagnosis of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis

1. A Cassiopeia Russell
2. Joseph Dainis
3. Jose Alexander
4. Ibne Karim M Ali
5. Dennis E Kyle

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  The manuscript by Russell et al. investigates an important problem: the current lack of methods for early and accurate N. fowleri diagnosis, which is >95% fatal. The authors provide solid evidence that a small RNA secreted by N. fowleri is detectable in biological fluids like blood and urine in a mouse model, and is present in cerebrospinal fluid and blood for a limited number of patient samples. This could potentially help with earlier diagnosis, which could save lives.

Reviewed by eLife

Structural insights into peptidoglycan hydrolysis by the FtsEX system in Escherichia coli during cell division

1. Jianwei Li
2. Yutong He
3. Xin Xu
4. Martin Alcorlo
5. Jian Shi
6. Souvik Naskar
7. Nicholas S Briggs
8. David I Roper
9. Juan A Hermoso
10. Lok-To Sham
11. Min Luo

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This is a potentially useful study that provides solid, yet confirmatory structural findings about the complex (FtsEX) that controls peptidoglycan remodeling during bacterial cell division. The authors capitalize on the fact that ATP binding stabilizes the FtsEX complex allowing structural characterization for this system. A model is then developed to explain ATP regulation but there is a gap between the model presented here and in vivo data reported previously.

Reviewed by eLife