Sexual reproduction is a ubiquitous process in eukaryotes, yet mechanisms of sex determination are strikingly diverse. One unique and understudied system is maternal genetic sex determination (mat-GSD), in which the genotype of the mother determines offspring sex. In some species, mothers further specialise into genetically determined reproductive morphs: gynogenic females that produce all-female broods, and […]

Plant tissues and surfaces are among the largest microbial habitats on Earth, and commensal yeasts are common members of these communities, where they can contribute to plant-microbe interactions including the biological control of plant diseases. Here, we describe a novel genus, Aimea, of unpigmented, plant-associated basidiomycete yeasts, in the class Microbotryomycetes, and name three new […]

The spatial organisation of breeding populations fundamentally shapes individual fitness and scales up to influence broader population dynamics. While spatial patterns are often attributed to passive habitat filtering, they may alternatively emerge from active behavioural plasticity at the spatial-social interface, governed by density-dependent trade-offs. To test these competing mechanisms, we leveraged long-term, large-scale monitoring data […]

Lung fibroblasts are key regulators of tissue homeostasis and extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling, and their aberrant activation drives the progressive parenchymal scarring characteristic of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a fatal disease with limited therapeutic options. Despite their central pathogenic role, lung fibroblasts are difficult to isolate due to their embedded position within the ECM, and […]

Candida albicans is a major opportunistic pathogen in humans that is capable of breaching mucosal barriers and causing severe systemic infections with high mortality. How the host controls mucosal infection and prevents dissemination remains unclear but is essential for improving disease outcomes. Here, we demonstrate that C. albicans induces specific IL-1 family members, which are […]

This study assessed the prevalence of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and virulence factor genes (VFs), DNA viruses, and medically-relevant pathogens in three major cities around the globe – Mysuru (India), Dubai (United Arab Emirates), and Tucson (Arizona, United States of America). Ten households were sampled in each city, at ten sites in the bathroom, kitchen, […]

Peripheral island populations are often especially vulnerable to environmental change, yet they may also represent unique components of biodiversity. We assessed long-term population change in the Egyptian fruit bat (Rousettus aegyptiacus) on Cyprus, the only insular and geographically isolated population of this pteropodid in Europe, and evaluated two non-exclusive explanations for its decline: roost disturbance […]

Longitudinal microbiome data are key to understanding the dynamics of microbial communities and their relationships with the host and environment. However, analysis of such data is challenging due to high dimensionality, compositionality, irregular sampling and temporal dependencies on external covariates. Existing analytical approaches typically address only subsets of these challenges, limiting their ability to yield […]

Lateral gene transfer (LGT) enables rapid metabolic innovation in microbes, but its evolutionary importance in animals remains debated. Among metabolic traits with major ecological consequences, adaptations to low-oxygen conditions often involve modifications of mitochondrial electron transport and the quinones that mediate electron flow. Rhodoquinone-based anaerobic metabolism occurs in several eukaryotic lineages, yet the evolutionary routes […]

Climate change intensifies grassland drying, which alters soil carbon storage. Yet, how reduced soil water affects carbon transport and processing in the rhizosphere, a microbial activity hotspot, remains unclear. We traced living root-derived carbon (rhizodeposit C) into soils and microbes using 13CO2 labeling in a multi-year precipitation manipulation experiment in a Mediterranean grassland. With 50% […]

Fungi play central roles in terrestrial ecosystem functioning and are the major decomposers of dead wood in forest systems. Wood decay fungi are adapted to growth and decay under different environmental conditions, but we have limited insight into the intraspecific variability in fungal growth and decay. In Fennoscandia, there are two genetically and ecologically distinct […]

Across the biosphere, microbiomes play essential roles in shaping the health of their host. One notable example of such a microbiome-associated phenotype is disease-suppressive soils, where susceptible plant hosts enrich and activate specific rhizosphere microbial consortia for protection against fungal root pathogens. However, identifying and reconstructing microbial consortia responsible for host protection remains challenging, given […]