{"title":"Symbiotic bacteria and pest control: plant toxins, chemical pesticides, and fungal entomopathogens.","authors":"Joshua A Thia, Ashritha P S Dorai, Ary A Hoffmann","doi":"10.1016/j.tim.2025.04.007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tim.2025.04.007","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Bacterial symbionts in pests are being increasingly investigated to assess their potential uses for sustainable control approaches. We undertook a review and analysis of the impacts of endosymbionts and gut symbionts on responses to toxins from plants and pesticides, and to attack by fungal entomopathogens. Despite methodological issues affecting estimates of effect sizes, there is evidence for symbionts increasing resistance to all three agents. However, impacts can be small, and for pesticides, these may not reach levels required for resistance at field rates. Negative or neutral effects may be underreported. Further complications arise because host genotype and the environment impact symbiont effects. We anticipate rapid progress in this area over coming years that should clarify practical implications of these effects.</p>","PeriodicalId":23275,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Microbiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":14.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144039963","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Trends in MicrobiologyPub Date : 2025-05-01Epub Date: 2025-02-27DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2025.02.003
Kathryne C Ford, Ryan G Bing, Mohamad J H Manesh, Michael W W Adams, Robert M Kelly
{"title":"Anaerocellum (f. Caldicellulosiruptor) bescii.","authors":"Kathryne C Ford, Ryan G Bing, Mohamad J H Manesh, Michael W W Adams, Robert M Kelly","doi":"10.1016/j.tim.2025.02.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tim.2025.02.003","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":23275,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Microbiology","volume":" ","pages":"569-570"},"PeriodicalIF":14.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143531896","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Trends in MicrobiologyPub Date : 2025-05-01Epub Date: 2025-02-19DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2025.01.007
Jana S Huisman, Andrina Bernhard, Claudia Igler
{"title":"Should I stay or should I go: transmission trade-offs in phages and plasmids.","authors":"Jana S Huisman, Andrina Bernhard, Claudia Igler","doi":"10.1016/j.tim.2025.01.007","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tim.2025.01.007","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Mobile genetic elements (MGEs), like temperate bacteriophages and conjugative plasmids, are major vectors of virulence and antibiotic resistance in bacterial populations. For reproductive success, MGEs must balance horizontal and vertical transmission. Yet, the cost of horizontal transmission (metabolic burden or host death) puts these transmission modes at odds. Using virulence-transmission trade-off (VTT) theory, we identify three groups of environmental variables affecting the balance between horizontal and vertical transmission: host density, host physiology, and competitors. We find that general theoretical predictions of the optimal response to environmental cues align with experimental evidence on the regulation of transmission by phages and plasmids. We further highlight gaps between theory and experiments, differences between phages and plasmids, and suggest areas for future research.</p>","PeriodicalId":23275,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Microbiology","volume":" ","pages":"484-495"},"PeriodicalIF":14.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143469353","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Trends in MicrobiologyPub Date : 2025-05-01Epub Date: 2025-01-08DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2024.12.005
Filipa Godoy-Vitorino
{"title":"Solutions to expand microbiome sciences in the Caribbean Region: an insider's perspective.","authors":"Filipa Godoy-Vitorino","doi":"10.1016/j.tim.2024.12.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tim.2024.12.005","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The Caribbean harbors diverse genetic resources, yet microbiome research in the region remains poorly characterized. Addressing infrastructure and training challenges through collaborations and capacity building is vital. This article reflects on the obstacles facing microbiome research in the region and proposes solutions to ensure equitable participation in the global microbial research ecosystem.</p>","PeriodicalId":23275,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Microbiology","volume":" ","pages":"475-478"},"PeriodicalIF":14.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12058410/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142955489","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Trends in MicrobiologyPub Date : 2025-05-01Epub Date: 2025-01-22DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2024.12.013
Qiu E Yang, Jiang Tao Gao, Shun Gui Zhou, Timothy R Walsh
{"title":"Cutting-edge tools for unveiling the dynamics of plasmid-host interactions.","authors":"Qiu E Yang, Jiang Tao Gao, Shun Gui Zhou, Timothy R Walsh","doi":"10.1016/j.tim.2024.12.013","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tim.2024.12.013","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The plasmid-mediated transfer of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in complex microbiomes presents a significant global health challenge. This review examines recent technological advancements that have enabled us to move beyond the limitations of culture-dependent detection of conjugation and have enhanced our ability to track and understand the movement of ARGs in real-world scenarios. We critically assess the applications of single-cell sequencing, fluorescence-based techniques and advanced high-throughput chromatin conformation capture (Hi-C) approaches in elucidating plasmid-host interactions at unprecedented resolution. We also evaluate emerging techniques such as CRISPR-based phage engineering and discuss their potential for developing targeted strategies to curb ARG dissemination. Emerging data derived from these technologies have challenged our previous paradigms on plasmid-host compatibility and an awareness of an emerging uncharted realm for ARGs.</p>","PeriodicalId":23275,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Microbiology","volume":" ","pages":"496-509"},"PeriodicalIF":14.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143024996","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Trends in MicrobiologyPub Date : 2025-05-01Epub Date: 2025-01-30DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2025.01.003
Joana Sá-Pessoa, Ricardo Calderón-González, Alix Lee, José A Bengoechea
{"title":"Klebsiella pneumoniae emerging anti-immunology paradigms: from stealth to evasion.","authors":"Joana Sá-Pessoa, Ricardo Calderón-González, Alix Lee, José A Bengoechea","doi":"10.1016/j.tim.2025.01.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tim.2025.01.003","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Klebsiella pneumoniae (KP) is a global threat to human health due to the isolation of multidrug-resistant strains. Despite advancements in understanding KP's population structure, antibiotic resistance mechanisms, and transmission patterns, a gap remains in how KP evades defenses, allowing the pathogen to flourish in tissues despite an activated immune system. KP infection biology has been shaped by the notion that the pathogen has evolved to shield from defenses more than actively suppress them. This review describes new paradigms of how KP exploits the coevolution with the innate immune system to hijack immune effectors and receptors to ablate signaling pathways and to counteract cell-intrinsic immunity, making apparent that KP can no longer be considered only as a stealth pathogen.</p>","PeriodicalId":23275,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Microbiology","volume":" ","pages":"533-545"},"PeriodicalIF":14.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143068135","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Trends in MicrobiologyPub Date : 2025-05-01Epub Date: 2024-12-20DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2024.11.010
Anvita U Kerkar, Kelly R Sutherland, Anne W Thompson
{"title":"Non-viral predators of marine picocyanobacteria.","authors":"Anvita U Kerkar, Kelly R Sutherland, Anne W Thompson","doi":"10.1016/j.tim.2024.11.010","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tim.2024.11.010","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The Earth's most abundant photosynthetic cells, the picocyanobacteria - Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus - play a fundamental global role in aquatic ecosystems. The success of these picocyanobacteria is interpreted through a cross-scale systems framework that integrates bottom-up controls on growth (e.g., nutrients and light), diversity, and the selective pressures and response to predation. While viral predators are well studied and experimentally tractable, the diverse non-viral predators of picocyanobacteria are disconnected from this framework and experimentally challenging, leaving a major gap in understanding the picocyanobacteria. This review presents existing research on non-viral picocyanobacterial predators and promising research frontiers that will expand knowledge of the ecology and evolution of these crucial microorganisms.</p>","PeriodicalId":23275,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Microbiology","volume":" ","pages":"558-568"},"PeriodicalIF":14.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142872877","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Trends in MicrobiologyPub Date : 2025-05-01Epub Date: 2025-01-13DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2024.12.008
David F Boyd, Summer Vaughn Jordan, Siddharth Balachandran
{"title":"ZBP1-driven cell death in severe influenza.","authors":"David F Boyd, Summer Vaughn Jordan, Siddharth Balachandran","doi":"10.1016/j.tim.2024.12.008","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tim.2024.12.008","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Influenza A virus (IAV) infections can cause life-threatening illness in humans. The severity of disease is directly linked to virus replication in the alveoli of the lower respiratory tract. In particular, the lytic death of infected alveolar epithelial cells (AECs) is a major driver of influenza severity. Recent studies have begun to define the molecular mechanisms by which IAV triggers lytic cell death. Z-form nucleic-acid-binding protein 1 (ZBP1) senses replicating IAV and drives programmed cell death (PCD) in infected cells, including apoptosis and necroptosis in AECs and pyroptosis in myeloid cells. Necroptosis and pyroptosis, both lytic forms of death, contribute to pathogenesis during severe infections. Pharmacological blockade of necroptosis shows strong therapeutic potential in mouse models of lethal influenza. We suggest that targeting ZBP1-initiated necroinflammatory cell lysis, either alone or in combination antiviral drugs, will provide clinical benefit in severe influenza.</p>","PeriodicalId":23275,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Microbiology","volume":" ","pages":"521-532"},"PeriodicalIF":14.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142984903","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Trends in MicrobiologyPub Date : 2025-05-01Epub Date: 2025-02-24DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2025.02.001
Soumaya Kouidhi, Jo-Ann S Passmore, Mathabatha Evodia Setati, Lamech M Mwapagha, Adijat Jimoh, Ovokeraye H Oduaran
{"title":"Bridging data gaps: African reference genomes advancing inclusive microbiome research.","authors":"Soumaya Kouidhi, Jo-Ann S Passmore, Mathabatha Evodia Setati, Lamech M Mwapagha, Adijat Jimoh, Ovokeraye H Oduaran","doi":"10.1016/j.tim.2025.02.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tim.2025.02.001","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The need for African-specific microbiome reference genomes is critical as their absence limits research in health, agriculture, and sustainability. Current global guidelines often do not take into account the region's unique needs. This commentary advocates for Africa-focused microbiome initiatives and community-driven genome projects to better reflect the continent's ecological and demographic diversity, leading to more applicable outcomes.</p>","PeriodicalId":23275,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Microbiology","volume":" ","pages":"479-483"},"PeriodicalIF":14.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143504349","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Trends in MicrobiologyPub Date : 2025-05-01Epub Date: 2024-12-18DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2024.11.009
Saurabh Chugh, Fabien Létisse, Olivier Neyrolles
{"title":"The exometabolome as a hidden driver of bacterial virulence and pathogenesis.","authors":"Saurabh Chugh, Fabien Létisse, Olivier Neyrolles","doi":"10.1016/j.tim.2024.11.009","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tim.2024.11.009","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The traditional view of metabolism as merely supplying energy and biosynthetic precursors is undergoing a paradigm shift. Metabolic dynamics not only regulates gene expression but also orchestrates cellular processes with remarkable precision. Most bacterial pathogens exhibit exceptional metabolic plasticity, enabling them to adapt to diverse environments, including hostile conditions within a host. While the role of intracellular bacterial metabolism in pathogen-host interactions has been extensively studied, the contributions of the extracellularly released or secreted bacterial metabolites (referred to here as the bacterial 'exometabolome') to metabolic adaptations and disease pathogenesis remain largely unexplored. In this review, we highlight the significant and intriguing roles of bacterial exometabolomes in drug tolerance, immune suppression, and disease pathogenesis, opening a new frontier in our understanding of bacterial-host interactions.</p>","PeriodicalId":23275,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Microbiology","volume":" ","pages":"546-557"},"PeriodicalIF":14.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142865493","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}