Matthew R James, Katherine E Doss, Robert A Cramer
{"title":"New developments in Aspergillus fumigatus and host reactive oxygen species responses","authors":"Matthew R James, Katherine E Doss, Robert A Cramer","doi":"10.1016/j.mib.2024.102521","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mib.2024.102521","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p><em>Aspergillus fumigatus</em> is a filamentous fungus abundant in the environment and the most common causative agent of a spectrum of human diseases collectively termed aspergillosis. Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis is caused by deficiencies in innate immune function that result in the inability of the host to clear inhaled <em>Aspergillus</em> conidia that then germinate and form invasive hyphae. Myeloid cells, and their ability to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS), are essential for conidia clearance from the host. To combat ROS, <em>A. fumigatus</em> employs an expansive antioxidant system, though how these canonical antioxidant mechanisms contribute to infection initiation and disease progression remain to be fully defined. Recent research has identified noncanonical pathways in the <em>A. fumigatus</em> ROS response and new host populations with ROS deficiencies that are at-risk for invasive aspergillosis. Here, we highlight recent developments in the understanding of ROS at the interface of the dynamic <em>A. fumigatus</em>–host interaction.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":10921,"journal":{"name":"Current opinion in microbiology","volume":"80 ","pages":"Article 102521"},"PeriodicalIF":5.9,"publicationDate":"2024-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141855107","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Phage small proteins play large roles in phage–bacterial interactions","authors":"Grace A Beggs , Bonnie L Bassler","doi":"10.1016/j.mib.2024.102519","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mib.2024.102519","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Phages have wide influence on bacterial physiology, and likewise, bacterial processes impinge on phage biology. Key to these interactions are phage small proteins (<100 aa). Long underappreciated, recent work has revealed millions of phage small proteins, and increasingly, mechanisms by which they function to dictate phage and/or bacterial behavior and evolution. Here, we describe select phage small proteins that mediate phage–bacterial interactions by modulating phage lifestyle decision-making components or by altering host gene expression.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":10921,"journal":{"name":"Current opinion in microbiology","volume":"80 ","pages":"Article 102519"},"PeriodicalIF":5.9,"publicationDate":"2024-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S136952742400095X/pdfft?md5=6d844c860d56b858dad4083fd7e235f3&pid=1-s2.0-S136952742400095X-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141757628","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Editorial overview: There and back again: a phage’s tale","authors":"Julia Frunzke , Rob Lavigne","doi":"10.1016/j.mib.2024.102518","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mib.2024.102518","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":10921,"journal":{"name":"Current opinion in microbiology","volume":"80 ","pages":"Article 102518"},"PeriodicalIF":5.9,"publicationDate":"2024-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141757627","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Kelley A Gallagher , Natalia Tschowri , Richard G Brennan , Maria A Schumacher , Mark J Buttner
{"title":"How c-di-GMP controls progression through the Streptomyces life cycle","authors":"Kelley A Gallagher , Natalia Tschowri , Richard G Brennan , Maria A Schumacher , Mark J Buttner","doi":"10.1016/j.mib.2024.102516","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mib.2024.102516","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Members of the antibiotic-producing bacterial genus <em>Streptomyces</em> undergo a complex developmental life cycle that culminates in the production of spores. Central to control of this cell differentiation process is signaling through the second messenger 3′, 5′-cyclic diguanylic acid (c-di-GMP). So far<em>,</em> three proteins that are directly controlled by c-di-GMP in <em>Streptomyces</em> have been functionally and structurally characterized: the key developmental regulators BldD and σ<sup>WhiG</sup>, and the glycogen-degrading enzyme GlgX. c-di-GMP signals through BldD and σ<sup>WhiG</sup>, respectively, to control the two most dramatic transitions of the <em>Streptomyces</em> life cycle, the formation of the reproductive aerial hyphae and their differentiation into spore chains. Later in development, c-di-GMP activates GlgX-mediated degradation of glycogen, releasing stored carbon for spore maturation.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":10921,"journal":{"name":"Current opinion in microbiology","volume":"80 ","pages":"Article 102516"},"PeriodicalIF":5.9,"publicationDate":"2024-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1369527424000924/pdfft?md5=442a6b014b52e3deb82bc7b7cec49506&pid=1-s2.0-S1369527424000924-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141765712","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Kwang-Woo Jung , Seung-Heon Lee , Kyung-Tae Lee , Yong-Sun Bahn
{"title":"Sensing and responding to host-derived stress signals: lessons from fungal meningitis pathogen","authors":"Kwang-Woo Jung , Seung-Heon Lee , Kyung-Tae Lee , Yong-Sun Bahn","doi":"10.1016/j.mib.2024.102514","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mib.2024.102514","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The sophisticated ability of living organisms to sense and respond to external stimuli is critical for survival. This is particularly true for fungal pathogens, where the capacity to adapt and proliferate within a host is essential. To this end, signaling pathways, whether evolutionarily conserved or unique, have been refined through interactions with the host. <em>Cryptococcus neoformans</em>, an opportunistic fungal pathogen, is responsible for over 190,000 cases and an estimated 147,000 annual deaths globally. Extensive research over the past decades has shed light on the signaling pathways underpinning the pathogenicity of <em>C. neoformans</em>, as well as the host’s responses during infection. In this context, we delineate the regulatory mechanisms employed by <em>C. neoformans</em> to detect and react to stresses derived from the host.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":10921,"journal":{"name":"Current opinion in microbiology","volume":"80 ","pages":"Article 102514"},"PeriodicalIF":5.9,"publicationDate":"2024-07-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141636471","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Editorial overview: Systems and synthetic biology of microbial cells and communities","authors":"Victor Sourjik , Kiran Raosaheb Patil","doi":"10.1016/j.mib.2024.102517","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mib.2024.102517","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":10921,"journal":{"name":"Current opinion in microbiology","volume":"80 ","pages":"Article 102517"},"PeriodicalIF":5.9,"publicationDate":"2024-07-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141726927","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Connecting microbial community assembly and function","authors":"Leonora S Bittleston","doi":"10.1016/j.mib.2024.102512","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mib.2024.102512","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Microbial ecology is moving away from purely descriptive analyses to experiments that can determine the underlying mechanisms driving changes in community assembly and function. More species-rich microbial communities generally have higher functional capabilities depending on if there is positive selection of certain species or complementarity among different species. When building synthetic communities or laboratory enrichment cultures, there are specific choices that can increase the number of species able to coexist. Higher resource complexity or the addition of physical niches are two of the many factors leading to greater biodiversity and associated increases in functional capabilities. We can use principles from community ecology and knowledge of microbial physiology to generate improved microbiomes for use in medicine, agriculture, or environmental management.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":10921,"journal":{"name":"Current opinion in microbiology","volume":"80 ","pages":"Article 102512"},"PeriodicalIF":5.9,"publicationDate":"2024-07-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141629938","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Quantifying microbial interactions: concepts, caveats, and applications","authors":"Nittay Meroz , Tal Livny , Jonathan Friedman","doi":"10.1016/j.mib.2024.102511","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mib.2024.102511","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Microbial communities are fundamental to every ecosystem on Earth and hold great potential for biotechnological applications. However, their complex nature hampers our ability to study and understand them. A common strategy to tackle this complexity is to abstract the community into a network of interactions between its members — a phenomenological description that captures the overall effects of various chemical and physical mechanisms that underpin these relationships. This approach has proven useful for numerous applications in microbial ecology, including predicting community dynamics and stability and understanding community assembly and evolution. However, care is required in quantifying and interpreting interactions. Here, we clarify the concept of an interaction and discuss when interaction measurements are useful despite their context-dependent nature. Furthermore, we categorize different approaches for quantifying interactions, highlighting the research objectives each approach is best suited for<em>.</em></p></div>","PeriodicalId":10921,"journal":{"name":"Current opinion in microbiology","volume":"80 ","pages":"Article 102511"},"PeriodicalIF":5.9,"publicationDate":"2024-07-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141603405","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}