New pub. from the lab ! We discovered that potato tubers exert intense selective pressure during Dickeya solani infection, driving the rapid emergence of mutations in the sRNA ArcZ. These mutations lead to the appearance of "social cheaters" that sweep through the pop. in as few as 30 generations.

We propose immuno-centric view of secreted polymorphic toxin diversification and involvement of novel XPC systems in this process! Fantastic work of @jmartinkus.bsky.social with lab of @cascaleslab.bsky.social ! www.cell.com/current-biol...

academic.oup.com/nar/article/... Collaboration with Y. Yamaichi. Killing donor bacteria in conjugation mixes using water enables transcriptomic profiling of early plasmid genes ! Superb tool for studying zygotic induction of these early genes, which include anti-SOS and anti-RM factors. #microsky

🚨New paper out! #MicroSky Studying obligate predators like Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus is tricky—essential genes for predation are also essential for survival. We expanded its genetic toolbox: 🧬promoters to fine-tune expression 🧬IPTG-inducible system 🧬CRISPRi for rapid knockdown bit.ly/46GUn2c 1/4

Exclusion systems, far from slowing down plasmid spread, are in fact essential to preserve host cell viability and thereby ensure the successful dissemination of conjugative plasmids and antibiotic resistance genes. @nfrk92.bsky.social @narjournal.bsky.social academic.oup.com/nar/article/...

Biofilm architecture determines the dissemination of conjugative plasmids: We measured the spatiotemporal spread of plasmids in biofilms and found that plasmids only spread in some biofilm regions! Collab with lab of @sbigot.bsky.social & Christian Lesterlin www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

Our set of new prokaryote-optimized fluorescent proteins is now published ! #microbiology #microsky #microscopy 🧫🦠🔬 www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

MMSB - Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry @mmsb-lyon.bsky.social is now on Bluesky! 👉 Follow us to know about our last publications, prizes, job offers, seminars, events,...

New preprint from the lab!! Check it out!

New preprint from our Lesterlin Lab! Yannick Baffert and @nfrk92.bsky.social, in collaboration with @macerwan.bsky.social and @val-meve.bsky.social, shed light on the molecular mechanisms driving pOXA-48 plasmid maintenance and transfer. We reveal novel TA system, regulators, and T4SS components!

RIP Pierre. You were one of the best. Thank you for all you did for our field but more importantly, for me and all the people you helped. I will miss you. ❤️