Nature Reviews Microbiology http://www.nature.com/nrmicro/current_issue/ Nature Publishing Group en © 2009 Nature Publishing Group Nature Reviews Microbiology 1740-1526 1740-1534 © 2009 Nature Publishing Group permissions@nature.com Nature Reviews Microbiology http://www.nature.com/includes/rj_globnavimages/nrmicro_logo.gif http://www.nature.com/nrmicro/ In this issue http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro2179 In the dim and distant past, hospitals were viewed as places to go to be treated for an illness. However, the rise in health care-associated infections over the past decade has been so great that hospitals are now viewed more as places to go to In this issue

Nature Reviews Microbiology 7, 477 (2009). doi:10.1038/nrmicro2179

In the dim and distant past, hospitals were viewed as places to go to be treated for an illness. However, the rise in health care-associated infections over the past decade has been so great that hospitals are now viewed more as places to go to

]]> In this issue doi:10.1038/nrmicro2179 Nature Reviews Microbiology 7, 477 (2009) Nature Reviews Microbiology 10.1038/nrmicro2179 http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro2179 7 7 In This Issue 477 477 Safety from farm to fork http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro2181 June marks Food Safety Week in the United Kingdom. Several recent lethal outbreaks remind us that food-borne infections remain an important public health problem. Safety from farm to fork

Nature Reviews Microbiology 7, 478 (2009). doi:10.1038/nrmicro2181

June marks Food Safety Week in the United Kingdom. Several recent lethal outbreaks remind us that food-borne infections remain an important public health problem.

]]> Safety from farm to fork doi:10.1038/nrmicro2181 Nature Reviews Microbiology 7, 478 (2009) Nature Reviews Microbiology 10.1038/nrmicro2181 http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro2181 7 7 Editorial 478 478 Bacterial pathogenesis: Taking iron from the fire http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro2172 During colonization of the human gut, Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) triggers intestinal inflammation and diarrhoea. The host upregulates a range of antimicrobial responses, which the pathogen must resist if it is to survive and proliferate in the Bacterial pathogenesis: Taking iron from the fire

Nature Reviews Microbiology 7, 479 (2009). doi:10.1038/nrmicro2172

Author: Andrew Jermy

During colonization of the human gut, Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) triggers intestinal inflammation and diarrhoea. The host upregulates a range of antimicrobial responses, which the pathogen must resist if it is to survive and proliferate in the

]]> Bacterial pathogenesis: Taking iron from the fire Andrew Jermy doi:10.1038/nrmicro2172 Nature Reviews Microbiology 7, 479 (2009) Nature Reviews Microbiology 10.1038/nrmicro2172 http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro2172 7 7 Research Highlight 479 479 Antiviral immunity: TRIMming the response http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro2170 Viruses have evolved several mechanisms to evade or counteract the host antiviral immune response. Now, Gack et al. describe a new mechanism by which the influenza A virus non-structural protein 1 (NS1) inhibits the production of type I interferons (IFNs) and antiviral immunity by Antiviral immunity: TRIMming the response

Nature Reviews Microbiology 7, 480 (2009). doi:10.1038/nrmicro2170

Author: Olive Leavy

Viruses have evolved several mechanisms to evade or counteract the host antiviral immune response. Now, Gack et al. describe a new mechanism by which the influenza A virus non-structural protein 1 (NS1) inhibits the production of type I interferons (IFNs) and antiviral immunity by

]]> Antiviral immunity: TRIMming the response Olive Leavy doi:10.1038/nrmicro2170 Nature Reviews Microbiology 7, 480 (2009) Nature Reviews Microbiology 10.1038/nrmicro2170 http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro2170 7 7 Research Highlight 480 480 Parasitology: PADding up for differentiation http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro2168 Trypanosoma brucei, the causative agent of African sleeping sickness, undergoes a programme of differentiation that allows it to adapt to changing temperature and nutrient availability. During transmission from the mammalian host to the tsetse fly vector during a blood meal, the 'slender' proliferative forms Parasitology: PADding up for differentiation

Nature Reviews Microbiology 7, 480 (2009). doi:10.1038/nrmicro2168

Author: Andrew Jermy

Trypanosoma brucei, the causative agent of African sleeping sickness, undergoes a programme of differentiation that allows it to adapt to changing temperature and nutrient availability. During transmission from the mammalian host to the tsetse fly vector during a blood meal, the 'slender' proliferative forms

]]> Parasitology: PADding up for differentiation Andrew Jermy doi:10.1038/nrmicro2168 Nature Reviews Microbiology 7, 480 (2009) 2009-06-08 Nature Reviews Microbiology 2009-06-08 10.1038/nrmicro2168 http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro2168 7 7 Research Highlight 480 481 Phage biology: Uncorking the phage capsid http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro2180 The DNA inside a phage capsid is densely packaged, and therefore a strong gate is required to keep it inside. Lhuillier and colleagues, writing in a recent issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, now show that one of the Phage biology: Uncorking the phage capsid

Nature Reviews Microbiology 7, 480 (2009). doi:10.1038/nrmicro2180

Author: Christiaan van Ooij

The DNA inside a phage capsid is densely packaged, and therefore a strong gate is required to keep it inside. Lhuillier and colleagues, writing in a recent issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, now show that one of the

]]> Phage biology: Uncorking the phage capsid Christiaan van Ooij doi:10.1038/nrmicro2180 Nature Reviews Microbiology 7, 480 (2009) Nature Reviews Microbiology 10.1038/nrmicro2180 http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro2180 7 7 Research Highlight 480 481 In Brief http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro2177 Environmental microbiologyEnvDB, a database for describing the environmental distribution of prokaryotic taxaPignatelli,M., Moya,A. & Tamames,J.Environ. Microbiol. Rep.1, 191–197 (2009)Metagenomic sequencing allows researchers to generate vast amounts of data regarding In Brief

Nature Reviews Microbiology 7, 481 (2009). doi:10.1038/nrmicro2177

Environmental microbiologyEnvDB, a database for describing the environmental distribution of prokaryotic taxaPignatelli,M., Moya,A. & Tamames,J.Environ. Microbiol. Rep.1, 191–197 (2009)Metagenomic sequencing allows researchers to generate vast amounts of data regarding

]]> In Brief doi:10.1038/nrmicro2177 Nature Reviews Microbiology 7, 481 (2009) Nature Reviews Microbiology 10.1038/nrmicro2177 http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro2177 7 7 Research Highlight 481 481 Bacterial pathogenesis: Disruptive influence http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro2173 Helicobacter pylori disrupts the polarity of epithelial cells to use the apical cell surface as a replicative niche, according to a recent paper in PLoS Pathogens.H. pylori is found within 25 μm of the epithelial cell surface in the mucus layer Bacterial pathogenesis: Disruptive influence

Nature Reviews Microbiology 7, 482 (2009). doi:10.1038/nrmicro2173

Author: Sheilagh Molloy

Helicobacter pylori disrupts the polarity of epithelial cells to use the apical cell surface as a replicative niche, according to a recent paper in PLoS Pathogens.H. pylori is found within 25 μm of the epithelial cell surface in the mucus layer

]]> Bacterial pathogenesis: Disruptive influence Sheilagh Molloy doi:10.1038/nrmicro2173 Nature Reviews Microbiology 7, 482 (2009) Nature Reviews Microbiology 10.1038/nrmicro2173 http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro2173 7 7 Research Highlight 482 482 Bacterial physiology: Release the vesicles http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro2178 Gram-negative bacteria release membrane vesicles from sites of cell envelope remodelling during growth and division, according to a new paper that is available online in Molecular Microbiology.The release of vesicles from the outer membrane (OM) is conserved in Gram-negative bacteria, yet little is Bacterial physiology: Release the vesicles

Nature Reviews Microbiology 7, 482 (2009). doi:10.1038/nrmicro2178

Author: Sheilagh Molloy

Gram-negative bacteria release membrane vesicles from sites of cell envelope remodelling during growth and division, according to a new paper that is available online in Molecular Microbiology.The release of vesicles from the outer membrane (OM) is conserved in Gram-negative bacteria, yet little is

]]> Bacterial physiology: Release the vesicles Sheilagh Molloy doi:10.1038/nrmicro2178 Nature Reviews Microbiology 7, 482 (2009) Nature Reviews Microbiology 10.1038/nrmicro2178 http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro2178 7 7 Research Highlight 482 482 Milk and two oligosaccharides http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro2169 This month's Genome Watch reviews three recent papers that describe bifidobacterial genomes. Milk and two oligosaccharides

Nature Reviews Microbiology 7, 483 (2009). doi:10.1038/nrmicro2169

Author: Alan Walker

This month's Genome Watch reviews three recent papers that describe bifidobacterial genomes.

]]> Milk and two oligosaccharides Alan Walker doi:10.1038/nrmicro2169 Nature Reviews Microbiology 7, 483 (2009) Nature Reviews Microbiology 10.1038/nrmicro2169 http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro2169 7 7 News and Analysis 483 483 In the News http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro2175 New arenavirus foundThe improving nature of rapid pathogen diagnostics was ably demonstrated during the recent identification and characterization of the first Old World haemorrhagic fever-associated arenavirus to be identified in more than 30 years. In late 2008, five cases of haemorrhagic fever were identified In the News

Nature Reviews Microbiology 7, 484 (2009). doi:10.1038/nrmicro2175

New arenavirus foundThe improving nature of rapid pathogen diagnostics was ably demonstrated during the recent identification and characterization of the first Old World haemorrhagic fever-associated arenavirus to be identified in more than 30 years. In late 2008, five cases of haemorrhagic fever were identified

]]> In the News doi:10.1038/nrmicro2175 Nature Reviews Microbiology 7, 484 (2009) Nature Reviews Microbiology 10.1038/nrmicro2175 http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro2175 7 7 News and Analysis 484 484 Prokaryotic ubiquitin-like protein (Pup), proteasomes and pathogenesis http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro2148 Proteasomes are ATP-dependent, multisubunit proteases that are found in all eukaryotes and archaea and some bacteria. In eukaryotes, the small protein ubiquitin is covalently attached in a post-translational manner to proteins that are targeted for proteasomal degradation. Despite the presence of proteasomes in many prokaryotes, Prokaryotic ubiquitin-like protein (Pup), proteasomes and pathogenesis

Nature Reviews Microbiology 7, 485 (2009). doi:10.1038/nrmicro2148

Author: K. Heran Darwin

Proteasomes are ATP-dependent, multisubunit proteases that are found in all eukaryotes and archaea and some bacteria. In eukaryotes, the small protein ubiquitin is covalently attached in a post-translational manner to proteins that are targeted for proteasomal degradation. Despite the presence of proteasomes in many prokaryotes,

]]> Prokaryotic ubiquitin-like protein (Pup), proteasomes and pathogenesis K. Heran Darwin doi:10.1038/nrmicro2148 Nature Reviews Microbiology 7, 485 (2009) 2009-06-01 Nature Reviews Microbiology 2009-06-01 10.1038/nrmicro2148 http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro2148 7 7 Progress 485 491 Common strategies for antigenic variation by bacterial, fungal and protozoan pathogens http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro2145 The complex relationships between infectious organisms and their hosts often reflect the continuing struggle of the pathogen to proliferate and spread to new hosts, and the need of the infected individual to control and potentially eradicate the infecting population. This has led, in the case Common strategies for antigenic variation by bacterial, fungal and protozoan pathogens

Nature Reviews Microbiology 7, 493 (2009). doi:10.1038/nrmicro2145

Authors: Kirk W. Deitsch, Sheila A. Lukehart & James R. Stringer

The complex relationships between infectious organisms and their hosts often reflect the continuing struggle of the pathogen to proliferate and spread to new hosts, and the need of the infected individual to control and potentially eradicate the infecting population. This has led, in the case

]]> Common strategies for antigenic variation by bacterial, fungal and protozoan pathogens Kirk W. Deitsch Sheila A. Lukehart James R. Stringer doi:10.1038/nrmicro2145 Nature Reviews Microbiology 7, 493 (2009) 2009-06-08 Nature Reviews Microbiology 2009-06-08 10.1038/nrmicro2145 http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro2145 7 7 Review 493 503 Epigenetic regulation in African trypanosomes: a new kid on the block http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro2149 Epigenetic regulation is important in many facets of eukaryotic biology. Recent work has suggested that the basic mechanisms underlying epigenetic regulation extend to eukaryotic parasites. The identification of post-translational histone modifications and chromatin-modifying enzymes is beginning to reveal both common and novel functions for chromatin Epigenetic regulation in African trypanosomes: a new kid on the block

Nature Reviews Microbiology 7, 504 (2009). doi:10.1038/nrmicro2149

Authors: Luisa M. Figueiredo, George A. M. Cross & Christian J. Janzen

Epigenetic regulation is important in many facets of eukaryotic biology. Recent work has suggested that the basic mechanisms underlying epigenetic regulation extend to eukaryotic parasites. The identification of post-translational histone modifications and chromatin-modifying enzymes is beginning to reveal both common and novel functions for chromatin

]]> Epigenetic regulation in African trypanosomes: a new kid on the block Luisa M. Figueiredo George A. M. Cross Christian J. Janzen doi:10.1038/nrmicro2149 Nature Reviews Microbiology 7, 504 (2009) Nature Reviews Microbiology 10.1038/nrmicro2149 http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro2149 7 7 Review 504 513 The versatility and adaptation of bacteria from the genus Stenotrophomonas http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro2163 The genus Stenotrophomonas comprises at least eight species. These bacteria are found throughout the environment, particularly in close association with plants. Strains of the most predominant species, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, have an extraordinary range of activities that include beneficial effects for plant growth and The versatility and adaptation of bacteria from the genus Stenotrophomonas

Nature Reviews Microbiology 7, 514 (2009). doi:10.1038/nrmicro2163

Authors: Robert P. Ryan, Sebastien Monchy, Massimiliano Cardinale, Safiyh Taghavi, Lisa Crossman, Matthew B. Avison, Gabriele Berg, Daniel van der Lelie & J. Maxwell Dow

The genus Stenotrophomonas comprises at least eight species. These bacteria are found throughout the environment, particularly in close association with plants. Strains of the most predominant species, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, have an extraordinary range of activities that include beneficial effects for plant growth and

]]> The versatility and adaptation of bacteria from the genus Stenotrophomonas Robert P. Ryan Sebastien Monchy Massimiliano Cardinale Safiyh Taghavi Lisa Crossman Matthew B. Avison Gabriele Berg Daniel van der Lelie J. Maxwell Dow doi:10.1038/nrmicro2163 Nature Reviews Microbiology 7, 514 (2009) Nature Reviews Microbiology 10.1038/nrmicro2163 http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro2163 7 7 Review 514 525 Clostridium difficile infection: new developments in epidemiology and pathogenesis http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro2164 Clostridium difficile is now considered to be one of the most important causes of health care-associated infections. C. difficile infections are also emerging in the community and in animals used for food, and are no longer viewed simply as unpleasant complications that follow Clostridium difficile infection: new developments in epidemiology and pathogenesis

Nature Reviews Microbiology 7, 526 (2009). doi:10.1038/nrmicro2164

Authors: Maja Rupnik, Mark H. Wilcox & Dale N. Gerding

Clostridium difficile is now considered to be one of the most important causes of health care-associated infections. C. difficile infections are also emerging in the community and in animals used for food, and are no longer viewed simply as unpleasant complications that follow

]]> Clostridium difficile infection: new developments in epidemiology and pathogenesis Maja Rupnik Mark H. Wilcox Dale N. Gerding doi:10.1038/nrmicro2164 Nature Reviews Microbiology 7, 526 (2009) Nature Reviews Microbiology 10.1038/nrmicro2164 http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro2164 7 7 Review 526 536 Myths and misconceptions: the origin and evolution of Mycobacterium tuberculosis http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro2165 Much effort has been spent trying to work out the origin and history of tuberculosis. Understanding these concepts could have important consequences for the development of vaccines and therapies that are effective against all strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. We discuss a series of misconceptions Myths and misconceptions: the origin and evolution of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Nature Reviews Microbiology 7, 537 (2009). doi:10.1038/nrmicro2165

Authors: Noel H. Smith, R. Glyn Hewinson, Kristin Kremer, Roland Brosch & Stephen V. Gordon

Much effort has been spent trying to work out the origin and history of tuberculosis. Understanding these concepts could have important consequences for the development of vaccines and therapies that are effective against all strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. We discuss a series of misconceptions

]]> Myths and misconceptions: the origin and evolution of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Noel H. Smith R. Glyn Hewinson Kristin Kremer Roland Brosch Stephen V. Gordon doi:10.1038/nrmicro2165 Nature Reviews Microbiology 7, 537 (2009) 2009-06-01 Nature Reviews Microbiology 2009-06-01 10.1038/nrmicro2165 http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro2165 7 7 Perspectives 537 544