Bacterial Cell Biology and Development: Ionic Homeostasis, Nutritional Immunity, and Pathogenesis
A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Microbiology and Immunology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 March 2026
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Bacterial cell biology and development are tightly coupled to ionic homeostasis and host–pathogen interactions. During infection, the host restricts access to essential metals (nutritional immunity), imposing selective pressures that reshape bacterial growth, morphology, and regulatory programs. Bacteria counter with specialized transport and sensing systems for key ions (e.g., Mg2+, Fe, Zn, Mn) that maintain homeostasis and, in a species- and context-dependent manner, modulate membrane remodeling, secretion system activity, biofilm formation, and virulence regulation. Recent work highlights magnesium transporters and the PhoP–PhoQ network as central nodes interfacing with other metal transport systems to contribute to developmental transitions and persistence, with implications for antibiotic tolerance and therapeutic targeting.
This Special Issue invites original research and reviews spanning molecular mechanisms, structural and imaging analyses (including cryo-EM/ET), physiology and genetics, and host–pathogen crosstalk. By integrating diverse approaches, we aim to clarify how ionic fluxes and their regulation shape bacterial cell biology and development across species and disease contexts.
Dr. Jeong Min Chung
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- ion homeostasis
- nutritional immunity
- ion transporters
- virulence regulation
- host–pathogen interaction
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