Ecological and Evolutionary Science
Special Issue Perspective | Ecological and Evolutionary ScienceSeven Billion Microcosms: Evolution within Human MicrobiomesRational microbiome-based therapies may one day treat a wide range of diseases and promote wellness. Yet, we are still limited in our abilities to employ such therapies and to predict which bacterial strains have the potential to stably colonize a person.
Special Issue Perspective | Ecological and Evolutionary ScienceSynergy among Microbiota and Their Hosts: Leveraging the Hawaiian Archipelago and Local Collaborative Networks To Address Pressing Questions in Microbiome Research...Despite increasing acknowledgment that microorganisms underpin the healthy functioning of basically all multicellular life, few cross-disciplinary teams address the diversity and function of microbiota across organisms and ecosystems. Our newly formed consortium of junior faculty spanning fields such as ecology and geoscience to mathematics and molecular biology from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa aims to fill this gap.
Research Article | Ecological and Evolutionary ScienceLinking Nitrogen Load to the Structure and Function of Wetland Soil and Rhizosphere Microbial CommunitiesMicroorganisms living within the rhizospheres of wetland plants significantly contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. Understanding how microbes produce these gases under conditions that have been imposed by human activities (i.e., nitrogen pollution) is important to the development of future management strategies. Our results illustrate that within the rhizosphere of the wetland plant Juncus acutiflorus, physiological...
Research Article | Ecological and Evolutionary ScienceSignatures of Selection at Drug Resistance Loci in Mycobacterium tuberculosisMycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of tuberculosis (TB), is a significant burden on global health. Antibiotic treatment imposes strong selective pressure on M. tuberculosis populations. Identifying the mutations that cause drug resistance in...
Editor's Pick Research Article | Ecological and Evolutionary ScienceTree Leaf Bacterial Community Structure and Diversity Differ along a Gradient of Urban IntensityIn natural forests, tree leaf surfaces host diverse bacterial communities whose structure and composition are primarily driven by host species identity. Tree leaf bacterial diversity has also been shown to influence tree community productivity, a key function of terrestrial ecosystems. However, most urban microbiome studies have focused on the built environment, improving our understanding of indoor microbial communities but leaving...
Observation | Ecological and Evolutionary ScienceAn Important Role for Purifying Selection in Archaeal Genome EvolutionThe evolution of genome complexities is a fundamental question in biology. A hallmark of eukaryotic genome complexity is that larger genomes tend to have more noncoding sequences, which are believed to be minimal in archaeal and bacterial genomes. However, we found that archaeal genomes also possessed this eukaryotic feature while bacterial genomes did not. This could be predicted from our analysis of genetic drift, which showed relaxed...
Research Article | Ecological and Evolutionary ScienceParallel Evolution of Group B Streptococcus Hypervirulent Clonal Complex 17 Unveils New Pathoadaptive MutationsThe incidence of group B Streptococcus (GBS) neonatal disease continues to be a significant cause of concern worldwide. Strains belonging to clonal complex 17 (CC17) are the most frequently responsible for GBS infections in neonates, especially among late-onset disease cases. Therefore, we undertook the largest genomic study of GBS CC17 strains to date to decipher the genetic bases of their remarkable colonization and infection...
Research Article | Ecological and Evolutionary ScienceLarge-Scale Phylogenomics of the Lactobacillus casei Group Highlights Taxonomic Inconsistencies and Reveals Novel Clade-Associated FeaturesThe closely related species of the Lactobacillus casei group are extensively studied because of their applications in food fermentations and as probiotics. Our results show that many strains in this group are incorrectly classified and that reclassifying them to their most closely related species type strain improves the functional predictive power of their taxonomy. In addition, our findings may spark increased interest in the...
Research Article | Ecological and Evolutionary ScienceComparative Genomic Analysis Reveals Habitat-Specific Genes and Regulatory Hubs within the Genus NovosphingobiumThis study highlights the significant role of the genetic repertoire of a microorganism in the similarity between Novosphingobium strains. The results suggest that the phylogenetic relationships were mostly influenced by metabolic trait enrichment, which is possibly governed by the microenvironment of each microbe’s respective niche. Using core genome analysis, the enrichment of a certain set of genes specific to a particular...
Research Article | Ecological and Evolutionary ScienceInvasive Plants Rapidly Reshape Soil Properties in a Grassland EcosystemIn this study, we show how invasive plant species drive rapid shifts in the soil environment from surrounding native communities. Each of the three plant invaders had different but consistent effects on soils. Thus, there does not appear to be a one-size-fits-all strategy for how plant invaders alter grassland soil environments. This work represents a crucial step toward understanding how invaders might be able to prevent or impair...