Randi Guest

A chimeric Mla-Pqi lipid transport system is required for Brucella abortus survival in macrophages | The EMBO Journal imageimageSeveral systems, such as the Mla and Pqi pathways, mediate lipid transport between the two membranes of gram-negative bacteria. This study identifies a novel Mla-Pqi chimeric complex in Bruc...

A chimeric Mla-Pqi lipid transport system is required for Brucella abortus survival in macrophages

www.embopress.org/doi/full/10....

Peptidoglycan–outer membrane attachment generates periplasmic pressure to prevent lysis in Gram-negative bacteria - Nature Microbiology Outer membrane attachment to peptidoglycan enables periplasmic pressure to build up and counter cytoplasmic turgor pressure, preventing lysis during osmotic challenges in Escherichia coli.

#NewResearch

Outer membrane attachment to peptidoglycan enables periplasmic pressure to build up and oppose cytoplasmic turgor pressure, preventing lysis during osmotic challenge in Gram-negative bacteria

@michaeldeghelt.bsky.social #MicroSky 🦠

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

A recent paper reveals that while LPS deficiency shields bacteria from phage infection (they lack receptor), it heightens vulnerability to T6SS contact-dependent antagonism, highlighting a critical evolutionary constraint.

by @seeyeunting.bsky.social
www.embopress.org/doi/full/10....

just like among humans, 𝗺𝗼𝗯bing is rampant in the microbial world.
here 👇 Maria Pilar Garcillán-Barcia , Fernando de la Cruz, and Eduardo Rocha review the extended 𝗺𝗼𝗯ility of plasmids...

#MicroSky

#MicroSky

Cartoon microbe with boxing gloves defending itself against other microbes Adobestock: 299822964

Just as our bodies have evolved to defend us against bacterial and viral pathogens, bacteria face the same challenges. They must deter their own viruses, chemically compete with other microbes, and deal with challenges from eukaryotic hosts 1/n 🧪

weekend is here! comes with a most welcome recording on youtube 👇

and if you need a less crick-heavy read, from the same author: DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2015.05.032
#MicroSky

Molecular interplay between peptidoglycan integrity and outer membrane asymmetry in maintaining cell envelope homeostasis https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.06.19.660527v1

Model for the interaction between P. aeruginosa and K. pneumoniae. These bacteria can co-exist in nutrient-replete conditions. Under iron-limiting conditions, siderophore synthesis is induced in both bacteria. Iron limitation can also turn on the synthesis of biosurfactants, rhamnolipids, in P. aeruginosa, allowing it to push away K. pneumoniae.

#MicrobiologyMonday: Pseudomonas aeruginosa releases a surfactant that displaces Klebsiella pneumoniae from solid surfaces. By pushing K. pneumoniae away, the detergent allows P. aeruginosa to better compete for limited iron. Learn more in #mBio: asm.social/2sH

Captions are available in many other languages: Please press the settings button (gear icon) for more options. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of most ... What is Antimicrobial Resistance and how can we tackle it?

Just in case you missed it, watch our video ‘What is AMR?’, which explains the fundamentals of Antimicrobial Resistance and the strategies and solutions to mitigate its threat. Watch the full video now -https://youtu.be/hXr2Rn9OTOg #KnockingOutAMR

Cyclic-di-AMP modulates cellular turgor in response to defects in bacterial cell wall synthesis - Nature Microbiology Brogan et al. uncover a signalling pathway in which levels of the nucleotide second messenger c-di-AMP increase in response to defects in cell wall synthesis. This regulatory pathway decreases turgor ...

Very happy to share that a large part of my thesis work is out today: B. subtilis uses the second messenger c-di-AMP to modulate its turgor pressure in response to the state of its cell envelope. www.nature.com/articles/s41...

A connection between two ancient and essential cellular processes, iron-sulfur protein biogenesis and fatty acid synthesis, in Escherichia coli https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.06.16.659903v1

Impaired envelope integrity in the absence of SanA is linked to increased Lipid II availability and an imbalance of FtsI and FtsW activities https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.06.10.658892v1

How to read a paper

PDF download
ccr.sigcomm.org/online/files...

Latest paper drop from Yale Phage Center @paulturnerlab.bsky.social

It's Thursday: Episode 89 of #MattersMicrobial is up, with Dr. Amir Mitchell of University of Masschusetts Medical School! Today, the #QualityQuorum discussed using AI to identify new antibiotics. Please spread the #GoodMicrobialWord? @profvrr

youtu.be/Wa0zd-TRCO8?...

Telomere bacteriophages are widespread and equip their bacterial hosts with potent interbacterial weapons Klebsiella host strains infected with telomere phages can grow to be the dominant lineage in mixed populations.

"That telomere phages are so prevalent means that they are a selective force, one that we know little about. We now want to understand how the telomere-toxin is secreted and also understand how this ‘telocin’ wheedles its way into unsuspecting bacterial neighbors”

www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Cell membranes sustain phospholipid imbalance via cholesterol asymmetry This work challenges a major assumption in cell biology by showing that lipid bilayers can have drastically different phospholipid abundances between their two leaflets. This lipid abundance asymmetry...

Groundbreaking study in Cell from @leventallab.bsky.social: phospholipid asymmetry is a defining feature of the plasma membrane and cholesterol fills the holes — major implications for how this membrane works. A #lipidtime must-read! www.cell.com/cell/abstrac...

The Enemy of My Enemy is My Friend How one bacteria befriended an old foe to take down a thriving competitor

📣 New MicroBites!

The Enemy of My Enemy is My Friend 🦠

How one bacteria befriended an old foe to take down a thriving competitor 👇

Overlooked signals: Highly stable quorum sensing molecule in phage lysates induces quorum sensing response https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.04.11.648453v1

High-throughput LacZ/CPRG screen identifies novel potential antibiotics targeting Gram-negative bacterial envelopes to combat resistance https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.04.09.648071v1

Structural Basis of Lipopolysaccharide Assembly by the Outer Membrane Translocon Holo-Complex https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.04.10.648201v1

Top left: Difference in protein levels between ΔhflKC and WT strains. Cultures were grown anaerobically in TB. Proteins with differences in expression that were considered significant are labeled, with respiration-related proteins highlighted in either blue (downregulated) or red (upregulated). Top right: Commonalities and differences between proteins significantly up- or down-regulated in ΔhflKC under different conditions. Colors of protein labels are the same as in other panels. Respiration-related proteins and those affected under more than one condition are shown, and the number of other proteins affected under a particular condition is shown. Bottom: The STRING diagram showing proteins that are significantly up- or down-regulated in the ΔhflKC deletion strain. Links indicate specified types of relationships between proteins, with the interaction score confidence threshold of 0.4. Proteins related to respiration are colored in red (upregulated) or blue (downregulated).

The bacterial HflK-HflC membrane complex plays a key role in cell #membrane organization. This study shows that HflK-HflC is important for aerobic #respiration, stabilizing proteins like IspG & TonB; reduced IspG activity impairs respiration & energy production @plosbiology.org 🧪 plos.io/3XPFENO

Bacillus subtilis MurJ and Amj Lipid II flippases are not essential for growth | Journal of Bacteriology The assembly of peptidoglycan (PG), the typically essential polymer that provides structural integrity to bacterial cells, begins with the synthesis of the Lipid II monomer in the cytoplasm and along ...

Bacillus subtilis MurJ and Amj Lipid II flippases are not essential for growth

journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...

Tissue-like multicellular development triggered by mechanical compression in archaea The advent of clonal multicellularity is a critical evolutionary milestone, seen often in eukaryotes, rarely in bacteria, and only once in archaea. We show that uniaxial compression induces clonal mul...

Striking new study from @archaeon-alex.bsky.social's lab just out in @science.org on multicellular development induced by compression in Archaea: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

A chemical radar allows bacteria to detect and kill predators Pseudomonas syringae can detect and kill microbial predators via a chemical radar (Cra), which also allows the bacterium to infect plants despite predation pressure.

chemical crosstalk at a distance of 𝘗𝘴𝘦𝘶𝘥𝘰𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘺𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘢𝘦 with 𝘗𝘰𝘭𝘺𝘴𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘺𝘭𝘪𝘶𝘮 𝘱𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘥𝘶𝘮 amoebae. oh nos, this does not end well for the amoebas...

www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
#MicroSky

A schematic summary of genetic events leading to heterotrophy and adaptive radiation of Nitzschia sing1 diatoms. From top: Alginate from brown algae, HGT of alginate lyase from Vibrio sp, duplication of lyase gene, followed by mutation and neofunctionalization. Credit: Jedd Group

Andreas Sichert explores a @plosbiology.org study showing that a single #HGT event allowed the #diatom Nitzschia to evolve a complete enzymatic machinery to break down alginate from brown algae, unlocking a new ecological niche🧪 Paper: plos.io/41WaW8e Primer: plos.io/4j1Ovog

Abnormal hankyphage virion morphology and incomplete DNA packaging. Negatively stained TEM micrographs of lysates of wildtype hankyphage-bearing Bacteroides thetaiotamicron strain jmh43 (left) and jmh43 in which RepCHP expression has been suppressed (center and right). Loose phage tails are indicated with black arrows.

How does the lysogenic-lytic cycle work in intestinal #bacteriophages? @sol-uble.bsky.social @dbikard.bsky.social @jmghigolab.bsky.social &co show that hankyphage produces defective viral particles & identify RepCHP as master repressor of this #phage's lytic cycle @plosbiology.org 🧪 plos.io/41Rr22S

Rowan: Postbiotic Metabolites Against Pseudomonas Infection Treating Pseudomonas aeruginosa wound infections are challenging due to biofilm formation and antibiotic resistance.  This motivated Kingsley Yin’s lab at Rowan University to explore Lactobacillus aci...

Kingsley Yin's lab at Rowan University showed Lactobacillus acidophilus postbiotic reduced Pseudomonas aeruginosa wound infection and modulated the inflammatory response in a mouse model. www.njmicrobe.org/post/rowan-p...

As #Women’sHistoryMonth ends, we continue to celebrate the lasting impact of women in microbiology—because their contributions shape the field every day! Explore this insightful article & discover tools to help instructors foster positive STEM identities amongst undergraduate women. asm.social/2lh