Mostly Microbes and Infection - by David Ojcius

Plant-microbe interactions are essential for sustainable agriculture, improving crop productivity, soil fertility, and resilience to stress. This review examines the role of plant growth-promoting microbes (PGPM) as biofertilizers and microbial inoculants, their mechanisms of action, factors influencing their effectiveness, and emerging technologies that support environmentally friendly farming and enhanced food security.

Mucin plays a key role in shaping interactions between enteropathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica and its mucus-adherent phage fMtkYen801. In vitro, mucin exposure increased phage replication by 100-fold, altered post-infection bacterial growth, and reduced biofilm formation. Resistant variants acquired mutations linked to virulence, quorum sensing, and antibiotic resistance, highlighting implications for phage therapy.

A 10-year study of 154 ocular MRSA isolates in Taiwan found major shifts in bacterial clones, with formerly dominant CC59 declining and fluoroquinolone-resistant CC8 increasing. While CC59 remained highly susceptible to fluoroquinolones, CC8 showed marked resistance, raising concerns about standard empirical treatment for eye infections and underscoring the need for ongoing molecular surveillance.

Lors de ma balade au Bois de Vincennes, j’ai vu ces champignons. L' IA pense qu’il s’agit d’un poulet-des-bois (Laetiporus spp.), mais avec seulement 80 % de certitude... donc 80 % de confiance aussi pour sa comestibilité. 🙃🍄

Using chemically induced  Effector-Triggered Immunity ( ETI) and single-cell transcriptomics in Arabidopsis leaves, researchers show that although pathogen effectors are broadly perceived, individual cell types mount distinct immune responses. A shared defense core is complemented by specialized programs shaped by cell identity and chromatin state. Epidermal regulators are crucial for preventing pathogen entry, revealing a layered, spatially organized plant immune system.

Scientists identified TgPRO, the first dedicated regulator of metabolic gene expression in apicomplexan parasites. In Toxoplasma gondii , TgPRO helps parasites adapt to crowding-induced oxidative stress by controlling genes involved in carbon metabolism and iron-sulfur cluster assembly. Loss of TgPRO increased reactive oxygen species and reduced fitness, revealing a convergently evolved metabolic control mechanism.