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PLAS-FIGHTER Exploiting plasmid-bacteria interactions to fight

Plasmids are autonomously replicating DNA molecules that stably coexist with chromosomes in bacterial cells. These genetic elements drive horizontal gene transfer and play a fundamental role in bacter...

Non-antibiotic drugs from a wide range of therapeutic classes can alter the ability of gut commensals to resist invasion by enteropathogens, a previously underappreciated side effect of such drugs.

Classical models from theoretical ecology are seeing increasing uptake in microbial ecology, but there remains rich potential for closer cross-pollination. Here we explore opportunities for stronger ...

This paper introduces the assembly graph as an integrative lens to unify ecological assembly theories across dynamical, informational, and probabilistic approaches. In addition to theory, it also pre....

Abstract. Plasmids are a ubiquitous feature of bacterial genomes, but the forces driving genes and phenotypes to become associated with plasmids are poorly

Plasmids exhibit a broad range of sizes and copies per cell, and these two parameters appear to be negatively correlated. Here, Ramiro-Martínez et al. analyse the copy number of thousands of diverse b...

Author summary Determining whether an empirical pattern can be manipulated is a crucial step towards building a predictive theory. Our study aimed to determine the extent that experimental manipulatio...

Integrons are bacterial genetic elements that capture, stockpile, and modulate the expression of genes encoded in integron cassettes. Mobile integrons (MIs) are borne on plasmids, acting as a vehicle ...

In the Multicellularity Long Term Evolution Experiment, diploid yeast evolve to be tetraploid under selection for larger multicellular size, revealing how whole-genome duplication can arise due to its...

Evolvability—the capacity to generate adaptive variation—is a trait that can itself evolve through natural selection. However, the idea that mutation can become biased toward adaptive outcomes remains...

Domestication has profoundly shaped human civilization and the genetic makeup of numerous plant and animal species. While the effects of plant domestication at the genetic and phenotypic levels are well-documented, its impact on plant microbiome remains less understood. Root microbiomes play crucial roles in nutrient acquisition, pathogen defense, and biotic stress tolerance, yet the influence of domestication on their diversity and assembly is still debated. Two primary hypotheses have been proposed: 1) the reduction in microbial diversity resulting from the domestication process, and 2) the diminished ability of host plants to control their microbiomes. To evaluate these hypotheses, we conducted a meta-analysis of multiple crops, comparing the root microbiomes of domesticated plants and their wild relatives. Our results indicate that the effects of domestication are species-specific and context-dependent, with most domesticated plants exhibiting increased microbial diversity and more structured communities, while others show no significant change. Overall, this study provides evidence that plant domestication does not lead to a uniform reduction in microbial diversity or a consistently diminished ability of plants to influence their microbiomes. Based on these findings, we discuss new perspectives and the need for future studies incorporating native soils and host genetic variation in such experiments, analyzing not only diversity but also microbiome function, and considering how root morphology might affect microbiome recruitment. Finally, we highlight the need for research on the potential adaptive or maladaptive consequences that introgression between wild and domesticated plants could have from a microbiome perspective. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest.