F. Cava

Essentiality of LD-Transpeptidation in Agrobacterium tumefaciens

This study identifies the essential role of LD-transpeptidation in Agrobacterium tumefaciens cell wall integrity and growth by analyzing LDTs and their genetic interactions.

Phenotypic and Transcriptomic Characterization of ElyC-Defective Escherichia coli Cells Reveal the Importance of ElyC in Cell Envelope Biology at Optimal and Sub-Optimal Temperatures

This study shows ElyC is essential for cell envelope integrity and PG biosynthesis at 21°C but has a moderate role at 37°C, affecting morphology, antibiotic resistance, and stress response pathways.

Breaking Barriers: pCF10 Type 4 Secretion System relies on a self-regulating muramidase to modulate the cell wall

The paper reports the structure and function of PrgK, a component of the T4SS in pCF10, revealing its muramidase activity and self-regulating domains.

Staphylococcus aureus counters organic acid anion-mediated inhibition of peptidoglycan cross-linking through robust alanine racemase activity

This study shows that Staphylococcus aureus counters acetate-mediated inhibition of peptidoglycan cross-linking by maintaining high intracellular D-Ala levels through alanine racemase and limiting D-Ala flux via D-alanine aminotransferase.

Spatial, temporal and numerical regulation of polar flagella assembly in Pseudomonas putida

This paper identifies the roles of FimV, FlhF, and FleN in regulating the position, timing, and number of flagella assembly in Pseudomonas putida.

Maintenance of cell wall remodeling and vesicle production are connected in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

This study investigates the role of VirR in Mycobacterium tuberculosis vesicle production and links it to cell wall remodeling, suggesting potential therapeutic targets.

A distinctive family of L,D-transpeptidases catalyzing L-Ala-mDAP crosslinks in Alpha and Betaproteobacteria

This paper identifies and characterizes a novel LD-transpeptidase in Gluconobacter oxydans that forms 1,3-type crosslinks, revealing structural and functional differences from known transpeptidases.

Bacterial cell surface nanoenvironment requires a specialized chaperone to activate a peptidoglycan biosynthetic enzyme

This study identifies SpoVK as a chaperone that activates MurG during spore surface assembly in Bacillus subtilis, highlighting the need for specialized chaperones in specific nanoenvironments.

A mutant fitness compendium in Bifidobacteria reveals molecular determinants of colonization and host-microbe interactions

The paper creates a mutant fitness compendium for Bifidobacterium breve to identify molecular factors affecting colonization and host-microbe interactions.

Metabolic reprogramming and flux to cell envelope precursors in a pentose phosphate pathway mutant increases MRSA resistance to β-lactam antibiotics

This study shows that mutating the pentose phosphate pathway gene pgl in MRSA increases resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics through metabolic reprogramming and changes in cell envelope precursors.

Peptidoglycan remodeling in response to cell wall acting antibiotics in Bacillus subtilis

This study examines how antibiotics affecting peptidoglycan synthesis alter its composition in Bacillus subtilis, revealing correlations between crosslinking and modifications like de-N-acetylation and amidation.

Quantitative analysis of morphogenesis and growth dynamics in an obligate intracellular bacterium

This paper develops quantitative tools to study the growth and morphology of Rickettsia parkeri, showing MreB is required for its shape and growth.

Identification of genes required for long term survival of L. pneumophila in water.

This study identifies genes essential for Legionella pneumophila survival in water using Tn-seq and CRISPRi, showing that electron transport chain genes and cell wall stability factors are critical for long-term viability.

Genome-wide peptidoglycan profiling of Vibrio cholerae

The paper develops a high-throughput peptidoglycan analysis pipeline to systematically study V. cholerae's genome-wide peptidoglycan homeostasis and identifies novel genetic determinants and a bifunctional penicillin-binding protein.

Transient glycolytic complexation of arsenate enhances resistance in the enteropathogen Vibrio cholerae

This study identifies a novel arsenate resistance mechanism in V. cholerae involving the formation of a transient glycolytic complex to sequester arsenate and prevent its toxic effects.

Peptidoglycan recycling mediated by an ABC transporter in the plant pathogen Agrobacterium tumefaciens

This study identifies YejBEF-YepA as an alternative muropeptide transporter in Agrobacterium tumefaciens, essential for cell wall integrity and beta-lactam resistance.

EstG is a novel esterase required for cell envelope integrity

This study identifies EstG, a novel esterase in Caulobacter crescentus that protects against cellular stress by acting on cyclic osmoregulated periplasmic glucans rather than the cell wall.

Candidate undecaprenyl phosphate translocases enable conditional microbial fitness and pathogenesis

The paper identifies DUF368-containing proteins as undecaprenyl phosphate translocases essential for bacterial alkaline fitness and pathogenesis in Vibrio cholerae and Staphylococcus aureus.

A new class of cell wall-recycling L,D-carboxypeptidase determines β-lactam susceptibility and morphogenesis in Acinetobacter baumannii

This paper identifies ElsL as a novel L,D-carboxypeptidase in A. baumannii essential for cell wall recycling, antibiotic resistance, and morphogenesis.

Lytic transglycosylases mitigate periplasmic crowding by degrading soluble cell wall turnover products

This study identifies lytic transglycosylases (LTGs) as essential for preventing periplasmic crowding by degrading peptidoglycan turnover products, independent of peptidoglycan recycling.

Unipolar peptidoglycan synthesis in the Rhizobiales requires an essential class A penicillin-binding protein

The paper investigates polar peptidoglycan synthesis in Rhizobiales using fluorescent probes and finds that a single class A penicillin-binding protein is essential for this process.

Killing of Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria by a bifunctional cell wall-targeting T6SS effector

Acinetobacter baumannii enhances T6SS effector activity by secreting D-Lys, increasing extracellular pH and killing Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria.

Mutation of lipoprotein processing pathway gene lspA or inhibition of LspA activity by globomycin increases MRSA resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics

This study shows that mutating lspA or inhibiting LspA with globomycin increases MRSA resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics by affecting cell envelope components beyond peptidoglycan.

Genetic dissection of the fermentative and respiratory contributions supporting Vibrio cholerae hypoxic growth

This study identifies genetic factors enabling Vibrio cholerae to grow under hypoxia by combining fermentation and NO3- respiration, revealing interactions between these pathways.

Induction of AmpC-mediated-βlactam resistance requires a single lytic transglycosylase in Agrobacterium tumefaciens

This paper identifies MltB3 as a key enzyme required for AmpC-mediated β-lactam resistance in Agrobacterium tumefaciens, enabling the development of antibiotic-sensitive strains for plant transformation.

L-arabinose induces the formation of viable non-proliferating Vibrio cholerae spheroplasts

This study shows that L-arabinose induces the formation of viable non-proliferating V. cholerae spheroplasts that can resume growth when L-arabinose is removed.

Class A Penicillin-Binding Protein-mediated cell wall synthesis promotes structural integrity during peptidoglycan endopeptidase insufficiency

This study investigates the role of endopeptidases and class A PBPs in PG synthesis and structural integrity in V. cholerae, showing that aPBPs can compensate for EP insufficiency.

A D-amino acid produced by plant-bacteria metabolic crosstalk empowers interspecies competition

The paper identifies canavanine as a D-amino acid produced by plant-bacteria metabolic crosstalk that alters PG structure and impairs cell division in Rhizobiales.

A temperature-dependent translational switch controls biofilm development in Vibrio cholerae

This study identifies a temperature-dependent translational switch mediated by BipA that controls biofilm development in Vibrio cholerae.

Peptidoglycan editing provides immunity to Acinetobacter baumannii during bacterial warfare

Acinetobacter baumannii incorporates D-Lysine into its peptidoglycan to gain immunity against T6SS attacks from competitors, though this trait is lost in pathogenic strains due to host enzyme activity.