The Gram-positive model bacterium B. subtilis is able to import all proteinogenic amino
acids from the environment as well as to synthesize them. However, the players involved in …

The first step in the process of bacterial natural transformation is DNA capture. Although long
hypothesized based on genetics and functional experiments, the pilus structure responsible …

Vancomycin resistance of Gram-positive bacteria poses a serious health concern around the
world. In this study, we searched for vancomycin-tolerant mutants from a gene deletion …

Zinc and copper are essential micronutrients that serve as a cofactors for numerous
enzymes. However, when present at elevated concentrations, zinc and copper are highly …

How cells control their shape and size is a fundamental question of biology. In most bacteria,
cell shape is imposed by the peptidoglycan (PG) polymeric meshwork that surrounds the …

Ribosomes frequently translate truncated or damaged mRNAs due to the extremely short
half-life of mRNAs in bacteria. When ribosomes translate mRNA that lacks a stop codon (non …