Bacterial genes articles from across Nature Portfolio

Depletion of host Leu^TAA tRNA levels prevents the translation of key cyanophage genes during infection and represents a passive, intracellular mode of resistance with implications for co-evolution.

Bacteroides strains have multiple operons for biosynthesis of diverse capsular polysaccharides, but most cells express only one operon at a time due to tight regulation of transcription elongation by locus-specific UpxY and UpxZ proteins. Here, Saba et al. provide insight into the mechanisms by which UpxY distinguishes among cognate operons and how UpxZ inhibits only noncognate UpxY proteins.

A recent study shows that the commensal bacterium Lactiplantibacillus plantarum recognizes the foregut of the fruit fly as its physical niche via sugar-binding adhesins.

This Genome Watch discusses the use of metagenomic sequencing to investigate resistome dynamics in river ecosystems and their associations with the mobilome and microbiome, underscoring the role of rivers as reservoirs of antimicrobial resistance genes.

In this Journal Club, Lisa Maier explores Abigail Salyers’ groundbreaking research on Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron, focusing on how she established a new genetic system and investigated how these gut bacteria bind and use starch, uncovering important insights into their metabolism.

The beneficial rhizobacterium Bacillus velezensis SQR9 secretes YukE by the type VII secretion system; YukE inserts into the plant root cell membrane to cause iron leakage, which benefits SQR9 and thus promotes its rhizosphere colonization.

This Genome Watch highlights recent metagenomics studies in fish that reveal unique microbiomes with low functional diversity, which could help to improve our understanding of host–microorganism dynamics in non-mammalian species.

This month’s Genome Watch highlights how recent advances in computational identification of biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs), and in their experimental manipulation, are opening new avenues to access novel secondary metabolites.