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The clockwork macrophage: Timing in innate immunity

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Abstract The circadian clock enables organisms to predict daily environmental changes and synchronise their physiology and behaviour accordingly. Macrophages, key sensor cells in the innate immune system, exhibit cell-autonomous circadian rhythmicity. This circadian rhythmic behaviour is synchronised to the central clock in the hypothalamus as a result of neural, and hormonal signals. Macrophage rhythms and responses involve sensing temporal cues, integrating information from tissue-specific environments, and initiating context-appropriate, time-gated responses. On a broader scale, monocytes and macrophages communicate and synchronise with other immune cells, migrate throughout the body, and infiltrate tissues, collectively contributing to circadian regulation in both health and disease. While the field of macrophage circadian biology is rapidly advancing, it is equally important to reflect on its historical development, which has been shaped by over two centuries of accumulating knowl...
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Streptomyces enrichment in roots during drought is uncoupled from plant benefit and is driven by host suppression of iron uptake and immunity

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Highlights • Streptomyces  are enriched in roots during drought via suppressed immunity and Fe uptake • Drought-induced suppression of iron uptake is conserved across ∼160 mya of plant evolution • Some  Streptomyces  improve plant performance under drought and low iron • Plant benefits are independent of enrichment and instead driven by intra-genus antagonism
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New Andes virus isolate haplotype obtained during prospective close contacts follow-up of an Hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome fatal case, Chile

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  Highlights • ANDV can be isolated in cell culture only in the absence of neutralizing antibodies. • The monitoring of close contacts of ANDV cases allows to identify prospective cases. • We isolated a new ANDV human strain from an early blood sample of a secondary case. • CHI-Hu13724 is a different haplotype from the previous ANDV reference strains. • Isolation of currently zoonotic ANDV strains helps the study of viral pathogenicity.
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An anaerobic pathogen rewires host metabolism to fuel oxidative growth in the inflamed gut

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Highlights • A classically anaerobic pathogen creates and thrives in a localized oxidative niche • BFT rewires epithelial metabolism from oxidative phosphorylation to fermentation • Host metabolic rewiring increases lactate and oxygen in the ETBF niche • BFT enables ETBF to adapt to this oxidative niche and promote colonization
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Transcriptional and cellular reprogramming in Anabaena sp. PCC7120 biofilms: implications for stress response.

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  Highlights • The transition from a planktonic to a sessile lifestyle in  Anabaena  sp. PCC 7120 is driven by a massive transcriptomic reprogramming involving 17.7% of the genome. • Sessile growth involves cell envelope remodeling and lower anabolic activity. • While nitrogen deficiency and salinity promote biofilm formation, iron deficiency exerts contrasting effects on sessile development. • Stress-adaptation pathways are directly linked to biofilm development.
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Cytoplasmic DNA sensors and their regulators

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  ABSTRACT Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is naturally contained within the mitochondria and nucleus of cells. DNA localized outside of these areas is generally considered to constitute damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMP) that trigger innate immune responses. The variety of these immune-stimulatory nucleic acids, coupled with the variety of proteins known to interact with DNA DAMPS and to act as sensors or regulators, is an important layer of regulation that defines the nature and breadth of inflammatory responses within a given cell or tissue. In this review, we describe the various DNA substrates that co-exist in cells, how they are sensed, and what regulates their cytoplasmic availability and recognition. We subsequently discuss how this complexity may dictate tissue-specific immune response and suggest that a more integrated view of the interconnection between pathways is necessary in order to define molecular targets for treatment intervention in inflammatory pathologies....
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Editorial for special issue “Microorganisms and food security under climate change scenarios: from taxonomy to host–microbe interactions”

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  Highlights • Climate change and environmental stressors are major drivers affecting global food security and agricultural sustainability. • Microbial communities play a central role in nutrient cycling, plant health, and ecosystem resilience. • Climate variability alters microbial diversity, functions, and plant–microbe interactions. • Beneficial microorganisms enhance crop tolerance to abiotic and biotic stresses. • Microbiome-based strategies offer sustainable alternatives to chemical inputs in agriculture. • Advances in microbial genomics enable the exploration and application of microbial diversity. • Biological control agents represent eco-friendly solutions for plant disease management. • Integrating microbial taxonomy, ecology, and biotechnology is key to climate-resilient food systems.
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