Vibrio cholerae pathogenicity island 2 encodes two distinct types of restriction systems www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.04.04.588119v1
In response to predation by bacteriophages and invasion by other mobile genetic elements such as pla
Our paper is out: We found a T6SS delivery domain, PIX, that mediates effector loading onto the system. PIX, which is restricted to Enterobacterales, revealed hundreds of polymorphic T6SS effectors. 🦠 In loving memory of our mentor, collaborator, and friend, Guido Sessa www.cell.com/cell-reports...
Carobbi et al. report a class of orphan polymorphic T6SS effectors in Enterobacterales. These effectors employ an N-terminal PIX domain that binds a VgrG protein to mediate secretion.
Our latest work is finally out! How #capsule#Klebsiella#phage#plasmid@epcrocha.bsky.socialdoi.org/10.1038/s414...
Bacterial capsules provide protection against the environment, including host immune systems. Authors swap capsule loci in Klebsiella pneumoniae to reveal the role of these sugar coats against plasmid...
The RNA Society recognizes Prof Chase Beisel for his scientific contributions to the field of RNA synthetic biology with the 2024 RNA Society Mid-Career Award. Congratulations, Chase! 👏🥳 Want to learn more about his accomplishments? www.helmholtz-hiri.de/en/newsroom/...
HIRI researcher Chase Beisel receives RNA Society Mid-Career Award
Our latest on phage-plasmids(PP) is out! Two main findings. PP recombine more with (other) plasmids and phages than the latter, thereby connecting them. PP can become just phages or plasmids, which may then transition to be conjugative. All the world’s an MGE! www.nature.com/articles/s41...
In latest issue of Science Magazine, Kinzig, de Lange, +al. report that human telomerase threatens genome integrity by adding telomeres to broken chromosomes and is held in check by ATR kinase signaling. Paper bit.ly/adg3224bit.ly/adn7791
US heat wave in 2023 associated with “flesh-eating disease” due to Vibrio vulnificus as far north as Connecticut. Traditionally limited to the waters of the Gulf of Mexico, its range has expanded north by 50 km/year since the 1980s #IDSky
This report describes cases of Vibrio vulnificus infections after a period of heat waves in three eastern U.S. states.
Our new work on the Wadjet (JET) anti-plasmid defence system is out: authors.elsevier.com/a/1iXM53vVUP... Showing structures of SMC complexes on extruded DNA (first time?) and blockage (!) of DNA extrusion by obstacles on DNA and more...
New from the lab. We were stuck studying plasmid mobility because we ignored most origins of transfer by conjugation. Using the occurrences of known oriT, we developed a method to find novel unrelated families. Works well. We now cover most conjugative plasmids of E coli, K pneumo & A baumannii.
Identification of novel origins of transfer across bacterial plasmids https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.01.30.577996v1
Conjugative plasmids are important drivers of bacterial evolution, but most plasmids lack genes for