microbiology papers | Gist.Science

Genomic analysis of Klebsiella pneumoniae causing community-acquired respiratory deaths among Zambian infants and children using targeted RNA-probe hybridization-capture metagenomics

This study utilizes targeted RNA-probe hybridization-capture metagenomics on post-mortem lung samples from Zambian infants and children to reveal that fatal community-acquired *Klebsiella pneumoniae* infections are driven by diverse, multidrug-resistant clones, including hypervirulent lineages, signaling a concerning epidemiological shift of this pathogen from nosocomial to community settings in sub-Saharan Africa.

Lindstedt, K., Wheelock, A., Samutela, M. + 25 more2026-04-15🦠 microbiology

Regional adaptation to mosquito vectors shapes Plasmodium falciparum populations

This study demonstrates that regional adaptation of *Plasmodium falciparum* to specific mosquito vectors is driven by polygenic allelic variation in midgut invasion proteins, such as CTRP and WARP, which enhance transmissibility in sympatric parasite-vector combinations through altered adhesion interactions.

Loesbanluechai, D., Sollelis, L., Armstrong, M. + 15 more2026-04-14🦠 microbiology

Baseline microbiomes of the pillar coral Dendrogyra cylindrus reveal novel taxa and regional differences

This study characterizes the baseline microbiomes of the critically endangered pillar coral *Dendrogyra cylindrus* in Belize and Curacao, revealing novel bacterial taxa, distinct regional strain differences, and the potential of these unique microbial lineages as bioindicators for restoration efforts.

Cauvin, A., Carne, L., Marhaver, K. L. + 5 more2026-04-14🦠 microbiology

Mixtures that Matter: Correlation Patterns in Antibacterial and Cytotoxic Activities of Five Hop Isolates

This study evaluates the antibacterial and cytotoxic interactions of five hop isolates, revealing that while most combinations are additive, specific pairings like humulone and lupulone offer synergistic antibacterial effects against *Micrococcus luteus* with minimal cytotoxicity, providing a strategic basis for developing safe and effective phytogenic feed additives.

Kober, L., von Karger, L., Castiglione, K.2026-04-14🦠 microbiology

Body temperature drives azole tolerance in Candida albicans by hindering the autophagic degradation of Erg11

This study reveals that human body temperature (37°C) enhances azole tolerance in *Candida albicans* by inducing mitochondrial dysfunction and reactive oxygen species accumulation, which inhibits autophagy-mediated degradation of the drug target Erg11, thereby preserving its levels and reducing antifungal efficacy.

Feng, Y., Zhen, C., Li, W. + 5 more2026-04-12🦠 microbiology

Tracking active heterotrophic microbial communities in the Guaymas Basin deep biosphere with BONCAT-FACS

This study optimized and applied a BONCAT-FACS workflow to IODP 385 Guaymas Basin sediments, revealing that heterotrophic Gammaproteobacteria, Bacilli, Deinococci, and Alphaproteobacteria remain translationally active down to 154 meters below the seafloor and utilize C1 metabolism, carbohydrate degradation, and fermentation to drive organic matter cycling in the deep biosphere.

Montgomery, A., Nupp, S., Gray, C. + 3 more2026-04-12🦠 microbiology

Structural determinants of endopilus assembly, stability and functional specificity in bacterial type II secretion

By integrating NMR, cryo-EM, and mutational analyses of the highly similar major pilins from *Dickeya dadantii* and *Klebsiella oxytoca*, this study reveals how subtle sequence variations in conserved type II secretion system endopili dictate their assembly, stability, and functional specificity across different ecological niches.

Lejeune, M., Ivashchenko, S., Dazzoni, R. + 9 more2026-04-12🦠 microbiology

Bacterial Signatures and Community Structure in the Phyllosphere of Eugenia uniflora: Developmental Dynamics and Core Microbiome in Myrtaceae

This study characterizes the developmental dynamics and core structure of the *Eugenia uniflora* phyllosphere bacterial community, revealing significant shifts in diversity and functional potential between young and mature trees while identifying a conserved core microbiome across the Myrtaceae family.

Cadavid Sanchez, I. C., Esquen, D., Margis, R. + 1 more2026-04-12🦠 microbiology

The gac system integrates physical and chemical cues to promote plant root attachment

This study identifies the *gacSA* two-component system in *Pseudomonas protegens* Pf-5 as a central sensory hub that integrates physical flagellar cues and chemical root signals to activate cyclic di-GMP-mediated attachment programs, thereby enabling the bacterium's transition from a planktonic state to successful root colonization.

Sobol, G., Hershey, D. M.2026-04-12🦠 microbiology

Microbiome-Dependent Protection Against Corynebacterium bovis-Associated Hyperkeratosis in Nude Mice (Mus musculus)

This study demonstrates that Corynebacterium bovis alone causes hyperkeratosis in immunocompromised mice, but disease severity is significantly modulated by host genetics and, most notably, by the presence of specific protective microbiome constituents that can prevent clinical lesions.

Fodor, K. E., Ritter, A. C., Schmieley, R. A. + 3 more2026-04-12🦠 microbiology

Adaptation of the freshwater anaerobic methanotroph 'Ca. Methanoperedens vercellensis' to low pH levels reveals membrane lipid remodelling

This study demonstrates that the freshwater anaerobic methanotroph 'Ca. Methanoperedens vercellensis' can adapt to low pH environments (down to 5.65) through membrane lipid remodelling, specifically by increasing zwitterionic lipids, thereby maintaining its role in the biological methane filter despite increased energy demands.

Tlaskal, V., Egas, R. A., Wang, W. + 6 more2026-04-12🦠 microbiology

Characterization of household microbiomes from three unique cities around the world

This study utilized shotgun metagenomics to characterize household bacterial microbiomes across ten homes in Mysuru, Dubai, and Tucson, revealing significant variations in diversity driven by geographic location and cultural practices, while identifying a global core microbiome dominated by human-associated phyla.

Scranton, C., Obergh, V., Goforth, M. + 10 more2026-04-12🦠 microbiology

Distinct sub-MIC kill kinetics of Cu and Ag in Escherichia coli

This study reveals that sub-minimal inhibitory concentration exposures to copper and silver elicit distinct kill kinetics in *Escherichia coli*, with copper causing sustained growth inhibition while silver induces transient killing followed by regrowth, highlighting the limitations of standard non-kinetic assays in assessing metal-based antimicrobial risks.

Rosenberg, M., Umerov, S., Tear, C. M. + 1 more2026-04-11🦠 microbiology

Regulator-derived growth and fitness costs of Salmonella SPI-2 expression are environment specific and T3SS independent

This study demonstrates that the master regulator SsrB of Salmonella's SPI-2 virulence system imposes environment-specific growth and fitness costs independent of the Type 3 Secretion System itself, thereby providing a mechanistic basis for the observed heterogeneous expression of SPI-2.

Spratt, M., Stumpf, C., Vigil, M. + 2 more2026-04-11🦠 microbiology

Single-cell carbon storage dynamics drive conditional fitness in microbes

This study demonstrates that in *Cupriavidus necator*, asymmetric single-cell inheritance of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) storage granules confers a conditional fitness advantage by extending proliferation during carbon starvation and accelerating recovery from nitrogen starvation, thereby explaining the evolutionary persistence of carbon storage in fluctuating environments despite its lack of benefit during nutrient abundance.

Huang, J., Yuan, R., Ma, Y. + 2 more2026-04-10🦠 microbiology

Mobile element-mediated carbapenem resistance in Enterobacter hormaechei in a Nigerian intensive care unit

This study reveals that carbapenem resistance in a Nigerian ICU is driven by the horizontal spread of a conserved mobile resistance island carrying *bla*NDM-5 across diverse *Enterobacter hormaechei* and *Klebsiella pneumoniae* strains, highlighting the critical need to track mobile genetic elements alongside bacterial lineages for effective infection control in low-resource settings.

Mba, I. E., Odih, E. E., Adekanmbi, O. + 9 more2026-04-10🦠 microbiology

Virtual colony count study of the inoculum effect of HNP1 against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213

This study demonstrates that the virtual colony count assay reveals a pronounced inoculum effect of the antimicrobial peptide HNP1 against *Staphylococcus aureus* ATCC 29213, which is associated with biofilm formation as a resistance mechanism.

Ericksen, B.2026-04-10🦠 microbiology

Reconstructing plant beneficial bacterial consortia by integrating dilution-to-extinction microbiome perturbation with genome-resolved synthetic ecology

By integrating dilution-to-extinction microbiome perturbation with genome-resolved synthetic ecology, this study successfully reconstructed a bacterial consortium from disease-suppressive soil that protects wheat against *Fusarium culmorum* by producing novel NAPAA compounds.

Jing, J., Ossowicki, A., Tracanna, V. + 12 more2026-04-10🦠 microbiology

Assessment of the household antibiotic resistance gene, virulence factor genes, and pathogen profiles from three global cities

This study compared antibiotic resistance genes, virulence factors, and pathogen profiles across households in Mysuru, Dubai, and Tucson, revealing significant geographic variations in resistance and viral diversity while identifying a core set of resistance genes present in all locations.

Scranton, C., Obergh, V., Goforth, M. + 10 more2026-04-10🦠 microbiology

Intrinsic disorder in elicitin-like effectors: Molecular shields in the arms race of biotrophic pathogens

This study reveals that intrinsically disordered regions in elicitin-like effectors from the biotrophic oomycete *Albugo candida* function as molecular shields to evade host immune recognition, a mechanism that can be transferred to other effectors to suppress plant immunity.

Schmid, M., Gomez-Perez, D., Quinzer, S. + 3 more2026-04-10🦠 microbiology