Whether a small cell, a small genome or a minimal set of chemical reactions with self-
replicating properties, simplicity is beguiling. As Leonardo da Vinci reportedly said,'simplicity …

SAR11 is a group of small, carbon-oxidizing bacteria that reach a global estimated
population size of 2.4× 1028 cells—approximately 25% of all plankton. They are found …

Riboswitches are commonly used by bacteria to detect a variety of metabolites and ions to
regulate gene expression. To date, nearly 40 different classes of riboswitches have been …

Abstract Background Structured noncoding RNAs perform many functions that are essential
for protein synthesis, RNA processing, and gene regulation. Structured RNAs can be …

Marine viruses impact global biogeochemical cycles via their influence on host community
structure and function, yet our understanding of viral ecology is constrained by limitations in …

With the availability of genome-wide transcription data and massive comparative
sequencing, the discrimination of coding from noncoding RNAs and the assessment of …

Vitamin traffic, the production of organic growth factors by some microbial community
members and their use by other taxa, is being scrutinized as a potential explanation for the …

Abstract Salmonella Typhi and Typhimurium diverged only∼ 50 000 years ago, yet have
very different host ranges and pathogenicity. Despite the availability of multiple whole …

An intriguing consequence of ongoing riboswitch discovery efforts is the occasional
identification of metabolic or toxicity response pathways for unusual ligands. Recently, we …

Riboswitches that sense S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) are widely distributed throughout a
variety of bacterial lineages. Four classes of SAM-binding riboswitches have been reported …