Mostly Microbes and Infection

  Highlights • Bacterial serine proteases play a crucial role in the interaction between bacteria and their hosts, facilitating bacterial invasion and contributing to pathogenicity. Mycobacterium tuberculosis possesses multiple serine proteases; however, the mechanisms of action of these proteases remain incompletely understood. In this study, we characterized the role of a novel serine protease, Rv1815, by purifying it in Escherichia coli and creating a rv1815 deletion mutant in M. tuberculosis to investigate its function. Our research revealed that Rv1815 is located in the cytoplasm of macrophages, exhibits serine protease activity, and can be secreted extracellularly. Moreover, we found that rv1815 is essential for bacterial virulence, survival, metabolism, and antibiotic resistance, as demonstrated by proteomic analysis. Rv1815 also influences bacterial morphology, enhances bacterial growth in vitro, and promotes intracellular survival of M. tuberculosis in macrophages. Further...

  Highlights • Human cytomegalovirus RNA2.7 sequesters RNA-binding proteins to stabilize host mRNAs • RNA2.7 enforces G1-S arrest specifically in actively cycling cells • An adenosine-rich RNA2.7 region is required for cell-cycle arrest • RNA2.7-driven cell-cycle arrest promotes efficient HCMV replication

  Highlights • XAI–SERS platform enables accurate discrimination of  E. coli  pathotypes and  Shigella. • 1D-CNN model achieved 97.7% accuracy, surpassing traditional classifiers. • SHAP analysis identified key spectral features linked to molecular components. • Provides a precise, interpretable approach for bacterial diagnostics.

  Highlights • One-year multicenter survey of fosfomycin-resistant Enterobacterales in Czech Republic hospitals. • FosA3-producing  Proteus mirabilis  predominates. • FosA3-positive  P. mirabilis  ST185 forms a local clonal cluster while  E. coli  clones are heterogeneous. • Transporter defects (GlpT/UhpT) are widespread; most  fosA  strains carry ESBL genes. • Molecular surveillance is crucial to monitor and contain emerging fosfomycin resistance.

  Highlights • XDR  Klebsiella oxytoca  found in hospital wastewater with 59 resistance genes • Mega plasmid pKO611.1 carries 28 resistance genes, enabling multidrug resistance • Novel  tet (E) variant and AmpC β-lactamase confer tetracycline & β-lactam resistance • Plasmid pKO611.1 transfers efficiently to  Escherichia coli , spreading resistance • Plasmid recombination shows potential as resistance gene reservoir for dissemination

  Highlights • Aridity index, rather than degradation level, is the paramount driver shaping soil bacterial and fungal communities (explaining ∼43% and ∼30% of the variation, respectively). • The ecosystem harbors an exceptionally stable core microbiome, with 18,510 bacterial ASVs shared across aridity gradients. • Dry sub-humid (alternating wet-dry) conditions promote the most complex and stable microbial co-occurrence networks. • Community assembly of both bacteria and fungi is predominantly governed by stochastic processes (ecological drift). • Microbial functional profiling reveals nitrogen cycling as the dominant process, with distinct adaptations along the aridity gradient.