Latest Articles
Editor's Pick Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyBiphasic Metabolism and Host Interaction of a Chlamydial SymbiontChlamydiae are known as major bacterial pathogens of humans, causing the ancient disease trachoma, but they are also frequently found in the environment where they infect ubiquitous protists such as amoebae. All known chlamydiae require a eukaryotic host cell to thrive. Using the environmental chlamydia Protochlamydia amoebophila within its natural host, Acanthamoeba castellanii, we investigated gene expression...
Research Article | Applied and Environmental ScienceSignificant Impacts of Increasing Aridity on the Arid Soil MicrobiomeWe identify key environmental and geochemical factors that shape the arid soil microbiome along aridity and vegetation gradients spanning over 300 km of the Atacama Desert, Chile. Decreasing average soil relative humidity and increasing temperature explain significant reductions in the diversity and connectivity of these desert soil microbial communities and lead to significant reductions in the abundance of key taxa typically...
Editor's Pick Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyQuantitative Proteomics Shows Extensive Remodeling Induced by Nitrogen Limitation in Prochlorococcus marinus SS120Prochlorococcus is the most abundant photosynthetic organism on Earth, contributing significantly to global primary production and playing a prominent role in biogeochemical cycles. Here we study the effects of extreme nitrogen limitation, a feature of the oligotrophic oceans inhabited by this organism. Quantitative proteomics allowed an accurate quantification of the Prochlorococcus proteome, finding three main...
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 | Host-Microbe BiologyMeta-analysis To Define a Core Microbiota in the Swine GutThe results of this meta-analysis demonstrate that “study” and GI sample location are the most significant factors in shaping the swine gut microbiota. However, in comparisons of results from different studies, some biological factors may be obscured by technical variation among studies. Nonetheless, there are some bacterial taxa that appear to form a core microbiota within the swine GI tract regardless of country of origin, diet, age,...
Perspective | Host-Microbe BiologyThe Microbiome-Mitochondrion Connection: Common Ancestries, Common Mechanisms, Common GoalsLynn Margulis in the 1960s elegantly proposed a shared phylogenetic history between bacteria and mitochondria; this relationship has since become a cornerstone of modern cellular biology. Yet, an interesting facet of the interaction between the microbiome and mitochondria has been mostly ignored, that of the systems biology relationship that underpins host health and longevity.
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyA Genome-Scale Model of Shewanella piezotolerans Simulates Mechanisms of Metabolic Diversity and Energy ConservationThe well-studied nature of the metabolic diversity of Shewanella bacteria makes species from this genus a promising platform for investigating the evolution of carbon metabolism and energy conservation. The Shewanella phylogeny is diverged into two major branches, referred to as group 1 and group 2. While the genotype-phenotype connections of group 2 species have been extensively studied with metabolic modeling, a...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyMetatranscriptomics Supports the Mechanism for Biocathode Electroautotrophy by “Candidatus Tenderia electrophaga”Bacteria that directly use electrodes as metabolic electron donors (biocathodes) have been proposed for applications ranging from microbial electrosynthesis to advanced bioelectronics for cellular communication with machines. However, just as we understand very little about oxidation of analogous natural insoluble electron donors, such as iron oxide, the organisms and extracellular electron transfer (EET) pathways underlying the...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyGenome Reduction and Microbe-Host Interactions Drive Adaptation of a Sulfur-Oxidizing Bacterium Associated with a Cold Seep SpongeSponges and their symbionts are important players in the biogeochemical cycles of marine environments. As a unique habitat within marine ecosystems, cold seeps have received considerable interest in recent years. This study explores the lifestyle of a new symbiotic SOB in a cold seep sponge. The results demonstrate that both this sponge symbiont and endosymbionts in deep-sea clams employ similar strategies of genome reduction. However,...
Editor's Pick Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyHealth and Disease Imprinted in the Time Variability of the Human MicrobiomeThe human microbiota correlates closely with the health status of its host. This article analyzes the microbial composition of several subjects under different conditions over time spans that ranged from days to months. Using the Langevin equation as the basis of our mathematical framework to evaluate microbial temporal stability, we proved that stable microbiotas can be distinguished from unstable microbiotas. This initial step will...