Plant pathogenic Rhodococcus species are persistent pathogens able to cause severe growth deformities on a large range of hosts. The most well studied species, R. fascians is predicted by current models to synthesize a mixture of cytokinins that act to directly perturb the hosts' hormone balances, which results in abnormal...
The human pathogen Chlamydia trachomatis displays different phenotypes between serovars both in vivo and in vitro. The study of chlamydial biology has been hampered by the lack of a tractable genetic system. Here, chlamydial isolates with known phenotypes as well as strains generated though recombination were fully sequenced to address...
Symbioses between microbes and multicellular eukaryotes are found in all biomes, and encompass a spectrum of symbiotic lifestyles that includes parasitism and disease, commensalism, and mutually beneficial interdependent host-microbe relationships. Regardless of outcome, these symbiotic lifestyles are governed by a complex molecular "courtship" between microbe and potential host. This courtship...