Researchers at the University of Delaware have discovered that bacteria do more than just work together—they evolve together. Their findings were published in mBio.
The research team studied interactions between Clostridium ljungdahlii and C. acetobutylicum and found that the two organisms combine cell walls and membranes and exchange proteins and RNA to form hybrid cells, some of which continue to divide and in fact differentiate into the characteristic sporulation program.
"They mix their machinery to survive or do metabolism, and that's kind of extraordinary because we always assumed that each and every organism has its own independent identity and machinery," said Terry Papoutsakis, study leader.
Interspecies microbial fusion is a rare phenomenon, "This is the first time we've shown this in this bacteria, and it's also a new mechanism of how the material is exchanged," said first author Kamil Charubin.
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Their data proposes a new understanding of evolutionary mechanisms, since sharing their DNA machinery means that the organisms can evolve together instead of just evolving on their own. "These findings will guide new thinking not just in the field of microbial evolution, but also toward biotechnological solutions that can benefit the soldier," said Robert Kokoska, program manager. "These include studies of how the human microbiome shapes soldier human health and cognition and how microbial communities can be better designed for a broad range of advances including strategies for reliable in-field biological sensing, waste remediation and novel means of biosynthesis."