C Cell Host & Microbe · Dec 01, 2025 Lantibiotic-producing bacteria impact microbiome resilience and colonization resistance Lantibiotic-producing gut commensals are prevalent in human gut microbiomes. Cole et al. demonstrate that gut colonization with lantibiotic-producingBlautia pseudococcoidesSCSK (BpSCSK) prevents recovery of antibiotic-induced dysbiosis and increases susceptibility toKlebsiella pneumoniaeandClostridioides difficileinfection.
C Cell Host & Microbe · Dec 01, 2025 Diet modulatesVibrio choleraecolonization and competitive outcomes with the gut microbiota Liu et al. show that dietary protein sources differentially restrict colonization of the pathogenVibrio cholerae. Specific diets downregulateV. choleraetype VI secretion system (T6SS) expression, leading to the loss of pathogen competitiveness against commensal bacteria, as well as alterations in the abundance and composition of the gut microbiota.
C Cell Host & Microbe · Dec 01, 2025 Cryptococcusexploits delayed microglial activation, and microglial osteopontin/Spp1impairs peripheral host control Cryptococcal meningoencephalitis (CM) is a leading cause of death in HIV/AIDS. Reyes et al. found that microglial activation is markedly delayed afterCryptococcusinvasion compared withCandida. Microglia require Th1-derived IFN-γ for activation, and their osteopontin expression worsens disease—revealing a deficient microglial response that permits brain infection.
C Cell Host & Microbe · Dec 01, 2025 A commensal bacterium secretes effector proteins to establish population heterogeneity in the gut Zagieboylo and colleagues demonstrate that the human commensalBacteroides thetaiotaomicronsecretes two self-targeting proteins that induce heterogeneity within its own population. Differential expression of these effectors and a cognate protective factor provide a mechanism by which a single commensal strain diversifies into sub-populations within the gut environment.
C Cell Host & Microbe · Nov 26, 2025 Environmental and maternal imprints on infant gut metabolic development Kvitne et al. show that maternal and environmental factors shape the developing infant gut microbiome and metabolome in Bangladesh, a low- and middle-income country. They report a rapid increase in key signaling molecules, including microbially derived bile acids andN-acyl lipids, during infant development.
C Cell Host & Microbe · Nov 26, 2025 Exploring functional insights into the human gut microbiome via the structural proteome Liu et al. develop a structure database of human gut microbial proteins and a structure-aware AI model for remote homolog detection. They demonstrate the power of structure-guided approach in discovering functional dark matter, such as phage proteins and microbial-host isozymes. This work highlights the value of computational structural genomics in elucidating the functional landscape of the human gut microbiome.
C Cell Host & Microbe · Nov 25, 2025 The microbial metabolite imidazole propionate modulates hypothalamic activity and stress-induced behaviors Agirman et al. find that imidazole propionate, a microbiome-derived metabolite, reaches the brain, dampens hypothalamic activity, and promotes stress-related behaviors. Human data show that higher ImP levels are associated with reduced hypothalamic responses and emotional eating, identifying ImP as a gut-brain modulator of stress.
C Cell Host & Microbe · Nov 25, 2025 Divergent viral phosphodiesterases for immune signaling evasion Oligonucleotides play fundamental roles in immune system activation across the tree of life. Viral proteins, 2H phosphodiesterases (PDEs), evade immunity by degrading these signals. Doherty and Nomburg et al. use structure-based searches to reveal exceptional diversity among 2H PDEs, enabling the selective targeting of molecules involved in distinct bacterial immune systems.
C Cell Host & Microbe · Nov 20, 2025 Hologenomic insights into the molecular adaptation of deep-sea coralBathypathes pseudoalternata Wei et al. reveal how deep-sea corals partner with symbionts in the extreme environment using the hologenome ofBathypathes pseudoalternata. A division of labor shows that the host provides a protected habitat and manages immunity, while symbiotic partners recycle waste, supply nutrients, resist viruses, and produce antioxidants—stabilizing mutualistic symbiosis.
C Cell Host & Microbe · Nov 19, 2025 KeystonePseudomonasspecies in the wheat phyllosphere microbiome mitigate Fusarium head blight by altering host pH Fusarium graminearum(F. graminearum) pathogen induces wheat phyllosphere alkalinization, promoting the development of Fusarium head blight (FHB). Xu et al. show that host-acidifyingPseudomonas, selectively enriched in the wheat phyllosphere duringF. graminearuminvasion, counteract the pathogen-induced alkalinization through organic acid production, thereby suppressing FHB and emerging as effective biocontrol agents.
