Mostly Microbes and Infection - by David Ojcius

Highlights • Bedtime probiotic intake retains 100,000x more bacteria than daytime intake. • Oral-origin L. reuteri strain colonizes better than the non-oral isolate. • Probiotic persistence varies widely interindividually, some individuals retain strains 7+ days. • Supragingival plaque shows highest proportional probiotic abundance by site. • Higher probiotic levels correlate with greater pocket depth reduction in periodontitis.

Highlights • The global regulator ppGpp plays a central role in controlling AIEC virulence. • Loss of ppGpp impairs virulence across in vitro and in vivo infection models. • Two candidate biomarkers with discriminatory potential for AIEC identification were defined.

People who live together share more oral and gut microbes with each other than with other people in their communities, according to a study published June 15, 2026, in the Cell Press journal Cell Press Blue . This was true regardless of the cohabitants’ relationships—siblings, parents, and offspring all shared similar numbers of microbial strains, and romantic partners shared even more oral (but not gut) microbes with each other, likely due to kissing. The research, covered in NPR, Gizmodo , and IFLScience , also found a link between more transmissible microbes and health, particularly type 2 diabetes. The findings could help design more targeted therapies for improving people’s microbiomes.   

Abstract Pit mud (PM) microbiota play a vital role in Baijiu flavor formation, yet its ecological and functional succession during maturation remains incompletely elucidated. Here, physicochemical profiling, amplicon sequencing, and metagenomics were integrated to investigate 5-, 15-, and 30-year PM of Sichuan Tang Dynasty Laojiao cellars. Bacteria dominated the community (82.59%), followed by Archaea (16.99%), with Lactobacillus acetotolerans, Ruminococcaceae CPB6, and Methanobacterium paludis as major species. Discrepancies between sequencing methods were reflected in fungal taxa which had low-abundance. The 15-year PM exhibited distinct community and functional features, indicating a critical transitional stage. Functional analysis revealed that fermentation-relevant functions were mainly contributed by 7 key genera and 5 species. Physicochemical properties changed with pit age, characterized by increased moisture as well as decreased acidity and humic substance levels. Moisture,...

Highlights • Microbial pantothenic acid (PA) supply is reduced in individuals with MetS • panC enables B. fragilis to supply PA to the colonic microenvironment • B. fragilis PA biosynthesis preserves the gut barrier and alleviates MetS • Microbial PA sustains KLF4 via the PANK2/3-CoA axis to support differentiation

Highlight • Bacterial isolates showed positive or negative effects on barley growth. • GR effects were neutralized by GP and NA isolates in SynCom. • GP isolates suppressed GR via contact-dependent T6SS activity. • Cytokinin produced by GP/NA; Variovorax degraded IAA. • Root microbiome shaped by fertilization and season, not inoculation.

Highlights • Deficiency of MrMFS1 was confirmed to underlie to the accelerated growth. • No morphological or physiological alterations were observed upon deletion of MrMFS1 . • The deletion mutant exhibits enhanced stress tolerance and insecticidal activity. • MrMFS1 mediates the proton-coupled efflux of acetic acid.