A bacterial CARD–NLR-like immune system controls the release of gene transfer agents Nature Microbiology, Published online: 16 April 2026; doi:10.1038/s41564-026-02316-4An immunity-like system functions as a lysis control hub to promote gene transfer agent particle release from host bacterial cells, suggesting that bacterial immune systems may be co-opted to promote horizontal gene transfer.

Out Now! A bacterial CARD–NLR-like immune system controls the release of gene transfer agents #MicroSky

Congrats to first author @emmajbanks.bsky.social, #ListerFellow @tunglejic.bsky.social and collaborators 👏 Discovered 3-gene control hub and strict regulator genes for gene transfer agent activation and bacterial cell lysis.

Paper in @natmicrobiol.nature.com www.nature.com/articles/s41...

A bacterial CARD–NLR-like immune system controls the release of gene transfer agents - Nature Microbiology An immunity-like system functions as a lysis control hub to promote gene transfer agent particle release from host bacterial cells, suggesting that bacterial immune systems may be co-opted to promote ...

Great work run by @emmajbanks.bsky.social and @tunglejic.bsky.social showing that the gta lytic system in caulobacter evolved from a phage antidefence system. It was fun to collect tomo of these at SLAC and segment them with Mai at YSBL. www.nature.com/articles/s41...

A bacterial CARD–NLR-like immune system controls the release of gene transfer agents - Nature Microbiology An immunity-like system functions as a lysis control hub to promote gene transfer agent particle release from host bacterial cells, suggesting that bacterial immune systems may be co-opted to promote ...

#microsky #MGE and kinda #phagesky #phage

Control of GTA release in Caulobacter by the @tunglejic.bsky.social lab.

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Thank you, Michele!!!

A bacterial CARD–NLR-like immune system controls the release of gene transfer agents - Nature Microbiology An immunity-like system functions as a lysis control hub to promote gene transfer agent particle release from host bacterial cells, suggesting that bacterial immune systems may be co-opted to promote ...

Delighted to share our latest work on gene transfer agents (GTAs). We found a lysis control hub which allows GTAs to escape their bacterial host cells and transfer DNA 🧬 between bacteria. Thanks to @tunglejic.bsky.social, all co-authors, and our amazing collaborators!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Thank you, Anthony!!!

Finally published. Many thanks to a wonderful collaborative team and scientific platforms!!! And thanks to editors and reviewers for enthusiasm and a great review.

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Image – Caulobacter crescentus bacterial host cells producing GTA particles. Left: fluorescence microscopy showing C. crescentus bacterial cells producing GTA particles (cells have been engineered to glow green when producing GTAs). Right: cryo-electron microscopy tomogram showing a ‘cross-section’ through a single C. crescentus cell producing GTA particles (magenta and yellow). Bacterial envelope layers are shown in blue, cyan, and green. A nutrient storage granule is visible (grey). Ribosomes (protein factories) are shown in orange.

NEWS - Ancient viruses serving as gene delivery couriers to help bacteria resist antibiotics

Research has shed important new light on the enemies-turned-allies that allow bacteria to exchange genes, including those linked to antimicrobial resistance.

www.jic.ac.uk/news/ancient...

Meet the 2026 Marjory Stephenson Prize Winner, Professor Mark Buttner Ahead of the 2026 Marjory Stephenson Prize Lecture, Omolulu Fagunwa interviewed Professor Mark Buttner to learn more about his career and how it feels to win a Microbiology Society prize.

Marjory Stephenson Prize winner Professor Mark Buttner is presenting their lecture 'How c-di-GMP controls progression through the Streptomyces life cycle', at 18:15 in the Auditorium.
Read more about their work: https://microb.io/3PVXEVB

#Microbio26

New preprint from the Vecchiarelli Lab! 🧵

Congratulations to first author Dr. Claire Dudley!
@claire-dudley.bsky.social

Claire uncovered a critical player in the organization for the photosynthetic cytoplasm of cyanobacteria - polyphosphate! #polyP

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

Polyphosphate acts as an architectural regulator of carbon fixation and nucleoid structure in cyanobacteria www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.04...

Polyphosphate acts as an architectural regulator of carbon fixation and nucleoid structure in cyanobacteria Polyphosphate (polyP) is a conserved inorganic polymer traditionally viewed as a stress-induced phosphate and energy reserve. In cyanobacteria, however, polyP granules are constitutively present and frequently observed in proximity to carboxysomes, the bacterial microcompartments that mediate CO2 fixation. Here we show that polyP functions as a spatially organized regulator of the photosynthetic cytoplasm in Synechococcus elongatus. PolyP granules localize to the nucleoid and are periodically arranged along the cell axis, independently of the McdAB carboxysome positioning system. Despite this independence, polyP and carboxysomes associate non-randomly, and this association is enhanced when active carboxysome positioning by the McdAB system is disrupted. Loss of polyP synthesis leads to nucleoid expansion, an increased number of smaller carboxysomes with high mobility, and severe defects in growth under ambient CO2. Perturbation of polyP turnover further reveals structural connections to both carboxysomes and thylakoid membranes. Together, these findings identify polyP as an architectural integrator that couples chromosome organization, metabolic compartmentalization, and photosynthetic fitness. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest. National Institute of General Medical Sciences, https://ror.org/04q48ey07, R01-GM144731, R35-GM152128 Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Polyphosphate acts as an architectural regulator of carbon fixation and nucleoid structure in cyanobacteria | bioRxiv www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.04...

A welcome editorial message.

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

great protocol!!! purified a bunch already, will be enough for ~20 years!!!

After posting the question, I just realized exactly that - I am a bit slow today. Thank you again, Lis!!!

Just read through (very quickly)!!! great work. The toxin could be purified alone?

MGE-UK-4 We are thrilled to invite you to the fourth edition of the MGE UK Workshop, hosted this year in the historic City of York. Mobile Genetic Elements (MGEs) are the ultimate architects of biology. MGEs i...

It is a pleasure to announce the 4th UK MGE workshop will be in York on 23rd-24th June 2026! Registration is free and we are actively looking for contributors. Interested? If so, please register via the website and select the talk option

www.ukmgeworkshop.org

We look forward to seeing you in York!

MGE-UK-4 We are thrilled to invite you to the fourth edition of the MGE UK Workshop, hosted this year in the historic City of York. Mobile Genetic Elements (MGEs) are the ultimate architects of biology. MGEs i...

It is a pleasure to announce the 4th UK MGE workshop will be in York on 23rd-24th June 2026! Registration is free and we are actively looking for contributors. Interested? If so, please register via the website and select the talk option

www.ukmgeworkshop.org

We look forward to seeing you in York!

Today’s @TheSainsburyLab @JohnInnesCentre Friday seminar is Michael Laub @michael_laub8 on anti-phage immune systems

Hosted by our one and only AmirAli @amiralito_

CauloCon 2026 A free, 3-day virtual meeting on all things Caulobacter and Alphaproteobacteria

Less than 24 hours until CauloCon starts! Last minute registration is still open if you want to attend.

caulocon.com

Oh no, he is great, I had such a great first lab experience in his group!!! He will be missed!!!

PhD Scholarship at Monash University - MACSYS Do cutting-edge research at the intersection of cryo‑EM, genome-wide profiling, and AI-driven modelling. Work with world‑class cryo-EM/cryo-ET imaging and AI tools to discover how the dangerous bacter...

Come do a PhD with me and @trevor-lithgow.bsky.social at @monashuniversity.bsky.social ! We’re at the leading edge of pathogen biology using cutting edge Cryo-EM and AI-driven genetic screens to uncover the mysteries of outer membrane biology. Reach out to me for a chat!

macsys.org/phd-scholars...

Exciting line up of talks for CauloCon 2026 - includes keynotes from @brunlabcaulo.bsky.social @lamasonlab.bsky.social and @thanbichlerlab.bsky.social! Hear work from Isaac Payne and Trung Nguyen, 2 students in my lab, on Weds and Thurs. 🤩

and money/philanthropic funding!

Great picture!!!

Cell-free genomics reveals fundamental regulatory principles of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis transcription cycle Tiers of gene regulation govern cellular life. The intrinsic activities of RNA polymerase (RNAP) constitute a primary tier, while direct modulation by…

Congrats Ruby, Bob, Liz, and team! www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

so cool and impressive!!!

striking graph!!!

Revitalizing actinobacteria research: an urgent response to the antimicrobial resistance crisis - Natural Products and Bioprospecting Abstract The crisis of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is escalating while the antibiotic pipeline remains stagnant. Our bibliometric analysis of eight decades of literature reveals a critical imbalanc...

Research into filamentous actinomycetes, the antibiotic producers, is in steep decline. Loads of natural products chemistry research worldwide but not much aimed at understanding their biology and ecology. The latter is key to unlocking their specialised metabolism

link.springer.com/article/10.1...