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ScienceQuiet 8d · day 8

Bacteria hijack viruses to shuffle DNA, offering clues to antibiotic resistance

Scientists explain how bacteria transform viral invaders into gene-transfer agents that spread genetic material—including disease resistance.

newest coverage 7d agosummary written 7d ago3 pieces MastodonNewswires

What to know

  • Bacteria have evolved to use viruses as gene-transfer agents, enabling horizontal gene exchange that speeds adaptation and trait acquisition.
  • GTAs can spread antibiotic-resistance genes between bacterial cells, making understanding this mechanism critical to combating resistance.
  • The discovery that GTAs are derived from ancient viruses opens new research avenues in biotechnology and human health applications.

“Because GTAs can empower bacteria to acquire new traits and spread disease-related genes, studying them may help unlock important applications in human health and biotechnology, including those that combat the spread of antibiotic resistance.”

The Conversation Africa · AllAfrica ↗

The Conversation Africa / Research team Scientific communicators and researchers

How it unfolded 2 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlesposts

Peak 2 pieces in two hours at Sep 16, 12 AM; 3 pieces over 8 days (2 articles · 1 post) Sep 16, 12 AM — 2 pieces · 1 article · 1 post — Mastodon 1, Newswires 1Sep 16, 2 AM — quietSep 16, 4 AM — quietSep 16, 6 AM — quietSep 16, 8 AM — 1 piece · 1 article — Newswires 1Sep 16, 10 AM — quietSep 16, 12 PM — quietSep 16, 2 PM — quietSep 16, 4 PM — quietSep 16, 6 PM — quietSep 16, 8 PM — quietSep 16, 10 PM — quietSep 17, 12 AM — quietSep 17, 2 AM — quietSep 17, 4 AM — quietSep 17, 6 AM — quietSep 17, 8 AM — quietSep 17, 10 AM — quietSep 17, 12 PM — quietSep 17, 2 PM — quietSep 17, 4 PM — quietSep 17, 6 PM — quietSep 17, 8 PM — quietSep 17, 10 PM — quietSep 18, 12 AM — quietSep 18, 2 AM — quietSep 18, 4 AM — quietSep 18, 6 AM — quietSep 18, 8 AM — quietSep 18, 10 AM — quietSep 18, 12 PM — quietSep 18, 2 PM — quietSep 18, 4 PM — quietSep 18, 6 PM — quietSep 18, 8 PM — quietSep 18, 10 PM — quietSep 19, 12 AM — quietSep 19, 2 AM — quietSep 19, 4 AM — quietSep 19, 6 AM — quietSep 19, 8 AM — quietSep 19, 10 AM — quietSep 19, 12 PM — quietSep 19, 2 PM — quietSep 19, 4 PM — quietSep 19, 6 PM — quietSep 19, 8 PM — quietSep 19, 10 PM — quietSep 20, 12 AM — quietSep 20, 2 AM — quietSep 20, 4 AM — quietSep 20, 6 AM — quietSep 20, 8 AM — quietSep 20, 10 AM — quietSep 20, 12 PM — quietSep 20, 2 PM — quietSep 20, 4 PM — quietSep 20, 6 PM — quietSep 20, 8 PM — quietSep 20, 10 PM — quietSep 21, 12 AM — quietSep 21, 2 AM — quietSep 21, 4 AM — quietSep 21, 6 AM — quietSep 21, 8 AM — quietSep 21, 10 AM — quietSep 21, 12 PM — quietSep 21, 2 PM — quietSep 21, 4 PM — quietSep 21, 6 PM — quietSep 21, 8 PM — quietSep 21, 10 PM — quietSep 22, 12 AM — quietSep 22, 2 AM — quietSep 22, 4 AM — quietSep 22, 6 AM — quietSep 22, 8 AM — quietSep 22, 10 AM — quietSep 22, 12 PM — quietSep 22, 2 PM — quietSep 22, 4 PM — quietSep 22, 6 PM — quietSep 22, 8 PM — quietSep 22, 10 PM — quietYesterday, 12 AM — quietYesterday, 2 AM — quietYesterday, 4 AM — quietYesterday, 6 AM — quietYesterday, 8 AM — quietYesterday, 10 AM — quietYesterday, 12 PM — quietYesterday, 2 PM — quietYesterday, 4 PM — quietYesterday, 6 PM — quietYesterday, 8 PM — quietYesterday, 10 PM — quietToday, 12 AM — quietToday, 2 AM — quietToday, 4 AM — quiet 1–2
Sep 17Sep 18Sep 19Sep 20Sep 21Sep 22yesterdaynow · 5:47 AM ET
  1. 1

    Researchers explain GTA mechanism and potential applications

    Scientists explain how GTAs function—bacteria package random gene samples into virus-like structures, which transfer genetic material to target cells—and note that studying this process may help combat antibiotic resistance and advance biotechnology.

    “Some bacteria have transformed these infectious invaders into gene transfer agents (GTAs) that help them exchange genetic material among themselves.”
    — The Conversation Africa
  2. 2

    Study identifies gene cluster controlling bacterial GTA release and antibiotic-resistance spread

    A recent study in Nature Microbiology pinpointed a cluster of genes that trigger bacteria to release GTA particles capable of spreading antibiotic-resistance genes, demonstrating the mechanism's relevance to human health.

  3. background

    Researchers isolate and analyze GTA genes from Rhodobacter capsulatus — Scientists isolated GTA genes from the bacterium and discovered that the proteins they produce share structural similarity to tailed phages, providing the first evidence that gene-transfer agents resemble viruses.