Ecological and Evolutionary Science
Research Article | Ecological and Evolutionary SciencePan-GWAS of Streptococcus agalactiae Highlights Lineage-Specific Genes Associated with Virulence and Niche AdaptationGBS is a leading cause of mortality in newborn babies in high- and low-income countries worldwide. Different strains of GBS are characterized by different degrees of virulence, where some are harmlessly carried by humans or animals and others are much more likely to cause disease. The genome sequences of almost 2,000 GBS samples isolated from both animals and humans in high- and low- income countries were analyzed using a pan-genome-...
Research Article | Ecological and Evolutionary ScienceOptimal Response to Quorum-Sensing Signals Varies in Different Host Environments with Different Pathogen Group SizeQuorum sensing describes the ability of microbes to alter gene regulation according to their local population size. Some successful theory suggests that this is a form of cooperation, namely, investment in shared products is only worthwhile if there are sufficient bacteria making the same product. This theory can explain the genetic diversity in these signaling systems in Gram-positive bacteria, such as Bacillus and ...
Research Article | Ecological and Evolutionary ScienceNovel Immunoglobulin Domain Proteins Provide Insights into Evolution and Pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2-Related VirusesThe ongoing COVID-19 pandemic strongly emphasizes the need for a more complete understanding of the biology and pathogenesis of its causative agent SARS-CoV-2. Despite intense scrutiny, several proteins encoded by the genomes of SARS-CoV-2 and other SARS-like coronaviruses remain enigmatic. Moreover, the high infectivity and severity of SARS-CoV-2 in certain individuals make wet-lab studies currently challenging. In this study, we used...
Research Article | Ecological and Evolutionary ScienceParallel Evolution of Tobramycin Resistance across Species and EnvironmentsThe rise of antimicrobial resistance is a leading medical threat, motivating efforts to forecast both its evolutionary dynamics and its genetic causes. Aminoglycosides are a major class of antibiotics that disrupt translation, but resistance may occur by a number of mechanisms. Here, we show the repeated evolution of resistance to the aminoglycoside tobramycin in both P....
Research Article | Ecological and Evolutionary ScienceCoevolution of Eukaryote-like Vps4 and ESCRT-III Subunits in the Asgard ArchaeaThe discovery of Asgard archaea has changed the existing ideas on the origins of eukaryotes. Researchers propose that eukaryotic cells evolved from Asgard archaea. This hypothesis partly stems from the presence of multiple eukaryotic signature proteins in Asgard archaea, including homologs of ESCRT proteins that are essential components of the endomembrane system in eukaryotes. However, structural and functional features of Asgard ESCRT...
Observation | Ecological and Evolutionary ScienceComparing Early Eukaryotic Integration of Mitochondria and Chloroplasts in the Light of Internal ROS Challenges: Timing is of the EssenceThe early eukaryotic evolution was deeply influenced by the acquisition of two endosymbiotic organelles - the mitochondrion and the chloroplast. Here we discuss the possibly important role of reactive oxygen species in these processes.
Research Article | Ecological and Evolutionary ScienceKiller Archaea: Virus-Mediated Antagonism to CRISPR-Immune Populations Results in Emergent Virus-Host MutualismMultiple studies, especially those focusing on the role of lytic viruses in key model systems, have shown the importance of viruses in shaping microbial populations. However, it has become increasingly clear that viruses with a long host-virus interaction, such as those with a chronic lifestyle, can be important drivers of evolution and have large impacts on host ecology. In this work, we describe one such interaction with the acidic...
Research Article | Ecological and Evolutionary ScienceTracing the Evolutionary History and Global Expansion of Candida auris Using Population Genomic AnalysesIn less than a decade, C. auris has emerged in health care settings worldwide; this species is capable of colonizing skin and causing outbreaks of invasive candidiasis. In contrast to other Candida species, C. auris is unique in its ability to spread via nosocomial transmission and its high...
Observation | Ecological and Evolutionary ScienceThe Hypercomplex Genome of an Insect Reproductive Parasite Highlights the Importance of Lateral Gene Transfer in Symbiont BiologyThe biology of many bacteria is critically dependent on genes carried on plasmid and phage mobile elements. These elements shuttle between microbial species, thus providing an important source of biological innovation across taxa. It has recently been recognized that mobile elements are also important in symbiotic bacteria, which form long-lasting interactions with their host. In this study, we report a bacterial symbiont genome that...
Minireview | Ecological and Evolutionary ScienceMore than Simple Parasites: the Sociobiology of Bacteriophages and Their Bacterial HostsBacteria harbor viruses called bacteriophages that, like all viruses, co-opt the host cellular machinery to replicate. Although this relationship is at first glance parasitic, there are social interactions among and between bacteriophages and their bacterial hosts. These social interactions can take on many forms, including cooperation, altruism, and cheating. Such behaviors among individuals in groups of bacteria have been well...