Article: Bacteria's Survival Ration: Ability To Feed On Waste DNA Can Mean Difference Between Life And Death
- From: "Robert Karl Stonjek" <rstonjek@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 26 May 2006 20:47:05 -0400 (EDT)
Bacteria's Survival Ration: Ability To Feed On Waste DNA Can Mean Difference
Between Life And Death
The ubiquitous bacteria E. coli rank among nature's most successful species
for lots of reasons, to which biologists at the University of Southern
California have added another: in a pinch, E. coli can feast on the DNA of
their dead competitors.
A research team led by Steven Finkel, assistant professor of molecular and
computational biology in the USC College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, had
already shown that DNA is an acceptable source of nutrients for bacteria.
The team's latest study, presented in the June 1 issue of the Journal of
Bacteriology, finds that DNA is a critical food source in the battle of the
fittest. Bacteria that stay alive just a little longer than their
counterparts get a double reward: the competition for food lessens, and the
supply of nutrients increases.
"The bacteria actually eat the DNA, and not only that, they can use the DNA
as their sole source of nutrition," Finkel said.
In hindsight, it should come as no surprise that DNA can serve as a meal for
microbes.
"You're surrounded by living things, and living things die," Finkel said.
"Where does all that stuff go? Why aren't we up to our ears in DNA, in
ribosomes, in plant protein?
"A lot of decay is microbial, and nobody ever thinks about it."
Finkel calls this phenomenon "nutritional competence" to distinguish it from
natural competence, defined as the ability of cells to assimilate waste DNA
in order to mutate or repair their genomes.
Natural competence is potentially risky, Finkel said, since bad mutations
can result, "but there should be no genetic cost to eating [the DNA]."
Full Text at the University of Southern California via ScienceDaily
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/05/060525192640.htm
Posted by
Robert Karl Stonjek
.
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