Showing papers in "Current Opinion in Microbiology in 2020"

TL;DR: Insights from studies into HGT in the gut microbiome may lead to the development of novel interventions to minimise the spread of antibiotic resistance genes among commensals and opportunistic pathogens.

TL;DR: The current understanding of the pathogenesis of these invasive infections is presented, focusing on the mechanisms of S. aureus clearance from the bloodstream by the immune system, and how this pathogen hijacks the host defense and coagulation systems and further interacts with the blood vessel endothelium.

TL;DR: Recent findings on the neonatal gut microbiome are examined and their implications for understanding this important driver of the maturation of the immune system and immunity against infections in early life are discussed.

TL;DR: The commensal lifestyle of C. albicans in the intestine, the role of morphology for Commensalism, the influence of diet, and the interactions with bacteria of the microbiota are discussed.

TL;DR: Nucleotide second messengers such as cAMP, (p)ppGpp, and in particular c-di-GMP are the key triggers and drivers that promote either growth or stress resistance and organized multicellularity in a world of limited resources.

TL;DR: Recent advances in understanding of how bacteria communicate in chronic infection are discussed, with a focus on Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and outstanding questions and controversies in the field are highlighted.

TL;DR: A better understanding of the potential risks of these strains is particularly important given that many of them are resistant to multiple antibiotics, including carbapenems.

TL;DR: The Streptomyces BldC protein is used to illustrate these issues and the terms 'transcription factor' and 'NAP' are ad hoc operational definitions with each protein lying along a spectrum of structural and functional features extending from highly specific actors with few gene targets to those with a pervasive influence on the transcriptome.

TL;DR: Additional layers of complexity associated with chronic P. aeruginosa infections must be considered in future studies in order to fully understand the physiology of infection.

TL;DR: Current estimates of the global burden of AMR are limited by lack of data, and patient-focussed surveillance of drug-resistant infection is a priority.

TL;DR: Commensal targeting by SIgA shapes gut microbiota composition, modulates bacterial behaviors, and enforces host-microbiota homeostasis in both mice and humans.

TL;DR: The need for further experimentation and genetic validation is highlighted to fully realise the potential of combination therapy, particularly as a last-line therapy for difficult-to-treat cases.

TL;DR: This review highlights recent advances in elucidating innate immune recognition of H. pylori, its interactions with myeloid cells and the consequences that this very local infection has for immune responses at extragastric sites in models of allergy, autoimmunity and parasitic infection.

TL;DR: In this article, the authors discuss insights into M. tuberculosis pathogenicity from studying M. marinum in the zebrafish, and frame them in terms of molecular Koch's postulates.

TL;DR: How gut microbiota and their metabolites impact C. difficile virulence and influence disease is reviewed.

TL;DR: In-vitro evolution and whole genome sequencing elucidates gene–drug interactions and metabolomic profiling complements target identification with broad mode of action.

TL;DR: Pyrin increases inflammation in the lung, gut or systemically during infection or intoxication in mouse models and protects against systemic infection by decreasing bacterial loads and Pathogenic Yersinia spp.

TL;DR: A number of recent advances in understanding of how bacteria orchestrate the adaptive response to host-mediated multi-metal restriction are discussed, highlighting crosstalk among these regulatory systems.

TL;DR: The emerging picture identifies pathogens as ecosystem engineers and suggests that virulence factors are useful tools for identifying host-derived habitat filters that balance the microbiota.

TL;DR: Progress in understanding of species-specific differences in fungus-host interactions provides new hypotheses of why Candida albicans-targeting T cells exceed those directed against other fungal species in the human T cell repertoire.

TL;DR: Recent research on the mechanistic underpinnings of staphylococcal interference with other members of the colonizing microbiota are given, some of which suggest new avenues for the development of novel anti-infectives or decolonization strategies.

TL;DR: Evidence that the host epigenome plays a significant role in orchestrating the bidirectional crosstalk between mammals and their commensal microorganisms is reviewed and emerging insights into the intricate connection between the microbiome and epigenetic enzyme activity via host or bacterial metabolites are presented.

TL;DR: This review focuses on the most recent insights into the strategies of macrophages to eliminate C. albicans and the fungal counterstrategies to overcome these threats.

TL;DR: It is envisioned that mammalian and microbial single-cell profiling could soon be integrated for the study of microbial communities in health and disease.

TL;DR: It is proposed here that the PICI-encoded mechanisms form part of the initial innate immune system that phages must overcome to infect their bacterial host.

TL;DR: The mechanisms utilized by the microbiome to regulate intestinal epithelial function are surveyed, and inversely, how different epithelial cell subtypes cooperate in regulating the microbiome is surveyed.

TL;DR: This work has shown that intestinal domination by Candida species has been shown to be a major source of Candida bloodstream infections and further research is needed to define the contribution of intestinal mycobiota to human fungal and non-fungal infections.

TL;DR: There is an urgent need for a common platform and coordination to ensure that resources are adequately used to address the critical challenges posed by AMR globally hence the founding of the Global AMR R&D Hub.

TL;DR: For antifungal treatments in the future to become a reality, the mechanisms by which diverse fungal pathogens activate and manipulate immunometabolism must be deciphered.

TL;DR: A brief review will highlight current research emphasizing that cell metabolism and pathogenesis are inextricably intertwined in both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.