Mostly Microbes and Infection - by David Ojcius

Highlights • SidL is an actin-dependent adenylyltransferase that targets host glycolysis • SidL adenylates 3PG to produce 2-AMP-3PG • Expression of SidL in human cells disrupts glycolysis and blocks mTORC1 signaling • Production of 2-AMP-3PG by SidL occurs early during the Legionella infection cycle

Highlights • An introduced analytical framework quantifies taxon–community associations to identify computationally inferred candidate keystone taxa. • Application to five PVTGs identifies 121 candidate keystone taxa, most of which are population-specific, with a reproducible subset across traditional populations. • Several candidate keystone taxa associated with lower community dispersion also show consistent associations with multiple disease conditions, highlighting priorities for future investigation. • A conserved metabolic core coexists with population-specific functions, while acculturation is associated with reduced microbial diversity and increased disease-associated taxa.

Highlights • This review provides a mechanistic classification of bacterial neurotoxins. • Neurotoxins are discussed as modulators of neural and neuroimmune networks. • Emerging links between bacterial neurotoxins and the gut–brain axis are highlighted. • The role of neurotoxins in neurodegenerative disorders is critically evaluated. • Engineered neurotoxin platforms show promise for targeted neural therapeutics. • Current translational opportunities and limitations in precision neurology are reviewed.

Highlights • Maternal vitamin B12 deficiency aggravates offspring obesity • Vitamin B12 deficiency reduces B. pseudolongum in dams and offspring • Loss of B. pseudolongum during lactation worsens obesity in offspring • Restoring B. pseudolongum or acetate alleviates this obesity via Ffar2-Ehhadh

Highlights • Engineered GSDMs are tailored as VIDAs to sense viral protease • VIDA is inert without infection and has potent antiviral effects in vitro and in vivo • VIDA elicits a “kill-and-alert” antiviral immune response in mice • AI-driven accelerated evolution generates safer and more potent VIDAs

Highlights • Bulk meta-transcriptomics separates recurrent and condition-specific responses. • Heat ramp triggers a broader, more structured program than heat shock. • WGCNA, GO and motif analyses identify recurrent non-specific modules. • Heat ramp-specific signatures link ribosome biogenesis and proteostasis. • Stress-responsive modules show limited overlap with evolutionarily young genes.