Using bioinformatics, biochemistry, NMR, as well as the newly characterized enzyme ArmA from methanogenic archaea, we revised the existing knowledge on archaeal peptidoglycan structure. At the same ti...

Staphylococcus aureus divides along sequential orthogonal planes, but the function of this geometry has remained unclear. Ramos-León et al. show that orthogonal division promotes uniform deployment of...

MreB, a bacterial actin homologue that organizes cell wall synthesis in most rod-shaped bacteria, assembles into membrane-associated filaments through mechanisms that have remained elusive despite dec...

Type IV pili are dynamic surface appendages assembled by envelope-spanning nanomachines that mediate diverse bacterial interactions, yet how these systems are adapted to predatory lifestyles remains p...

Authors reveal that protein nanofibrils govern assembly of bacterial spores and extrasporal toxins into insecticidal aggregates. Spores and parasporal bodies are incased in a “sporesilk” matrix that d...

Nature Microbiology, Published online: 07 April 2026; doi:10.1038/s41564-026-02322-6Sequential peptidoglycan carboxylase activity of DacA and DacB generates a local peptidoglycan signature that recruits MapZ and establishes the division site at the Streptococcus pneumoniae cell equator.

An analysis of AlphaFold protein structure predictions shows that while in many cases the predictions are highly accurate, there are also many instances where the predicted structures or parts of pred...

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B. thuringiensis spores contain uncharacterized protein filaments that extend from the surface of the exosporium. Here, the authors show that these filaments feature conserved β-barrel neck domains an...

Protein–protein interactions play a crucial role in many bacterial cell processes. miniTurbo-based proximity labeling has emerged as a powerful tool for the identification of in vivo protein net...

The polar-growing Corynebacteriales have a complex cell envelope architecture characterized by the presence of a specialized outer membrane compose...

Outer membrane attachment to peptidoglycan enables periplasmic pressure to build up and counter cytoplasmic turgor pressure, preventing lysis during osmotic challenges in Escherichia coli.

Predatory bacteria kill other bacteria to acquire nutrients. Among diverse strategies to kill and feed on prey, contact-dependent predation stands out…

This study reveals that an outer membrane protein from the predator Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus forms a pentameric assembly that traps a lipid monolayer within. This allows the discovery of two superfa...

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Nature Communications - Multiple types of cell elongation have been described in bacteria, but little is known about how these strategies vary across species. Here, the authors use fluorescent...

The mechanisms underlying bacterial chromosome configuration are not fully understood. Here, Spahn et al. show that the Escherichia coli nucleoid adopts a condensed, membrane-proximal configuration during rapid growth, with transcription and translation acting as main drivers of nucleoid organization.

Bacillus thuringiesis infects and kills insect larvae via its spores and associated entomotoxin-containing parasporal bodies (PSBs). We show that endospores and PSBs of B. thuringiensis Sv. Israë...