More articles from Minireview
MinireviewSoil Aggregate Microbial Communities: Towards Understanding Microbiome Interactions at Biologically Relevant ScalesSoils contain a tangle of minerals, water, nutrients, gases, plant roots, decaying organic matter, and microorganisms which work together to cycle nutrients and support terrestrial plant growth. Most soil microorganisms live in periodically interconnected communities closely associated with soil aggregates, i.e., small (<2 mm), strongly bound clusters of minerals and organic carbon that persist through mechanical disruptions and...
MinireviewBenzalkonium Chlorides: Uses, Regulatory Status, and Microbial ResistanceBenzalkonium chlorides (BACs) are chemicals with widespread applications due to their broad-spectrum antimicrobial properties against bacteria, fungi, and viruses. This review provides an overview of the market for BACs, as well as regulatory measures and available data on safety, toxicity, and environmental contamination.
Minireview | SpotlightDeterminants of Phage Host Range in Staphylococcus SpeciesBacteria in the genus Staphylococcus are important targets for phage therapy due to their prevalence as pathogens and increasing antibiotic resistance. Here we review Staphylococcus outer surface features and specific phage resistance mechanisms that define the host range, the set of strains that an individual phage can potentially infect.
MinireviewMolecular Hydrogen, a Neglected Key Driver of Soil Biogeochemical ProcessesThe atmosphere of the early Earth is hypothesized to have been rich in reducing gases such as hydrogen (H2). H2 has been proposed as the first electron donor leading to ATP synthesis due to its ubiquity throughout the biosphere as well as its ability to easily diffuse through microbial cells and its low activation energy requirement.
MinireviewTo Fix or Not To Fix: Controls on Free-Living Nitrogen Fixation in the RhizosphereFree-living nitrogen fixation (FLNF) in the rhizosphere, or N fixation by heterotrophic bacteria living on/near root surfaces, is ubiquitous and a significant source of N in some terrestrial systems. FLNF is also of interest in crop production as an alternative to chemical fertilizer, potentially reducing production costs and ameliorating negative environmental impacts of fertilizer N additions.
MinireviewFructophilic Lactic Acid Bacteria, a Unique Group of Fructose-Fermenting MicrobesFructophilic lactic acid bacteria (FLAB) are a recently discovered group, consisting of a few Fructobacillus and Lactobacillus species. Because of their unique characteristics, including poor growth on glucose and preference of oxygen, they are regarded as “unconventional” lactic acid bacteria (LAB...
- MinireviewDiversity and Proliferation of Metallo-β-Lactamases: a Clarion Call for Clinically Effective Metallo-β-Lactamase Inhibitors
The worldwide proliferation of life-threatening metallo-β-lactamase (MBL)-producing Gram-negative bacteria is a serious concern to public health. MBLs are compromising the therapeutic efficacies of β-lactams, particularly carbapenems, which are last-resort antibiotics indicated for various multidrug-resistant bacterial infections.
- MinireviewLEA Proteins and the Evolution of the WHy Domain
The late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) family is composed of a diverse collection of multidomain and multifunctional proteins found in all three domains of the tree of life, but they are particularly common in plants. Most members of the family are known to play an important role in abiotic stress response and stress tolerance in plants but are also part of the plant hypersensitive response to pathogen infection.