A sufficient food supply is ensured by a variety of survival strategies. Certain species ofbacteria kill otherbacteria and convert them to food. The mechanism of this process isn't known.
Dr. Christine Kaimer is the Chair of Microbial Biology. The researchers from RUB presented their findings in the journal Cell Reports.
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The relationship between predator and prey is unknown. Researchers believe that the composition of the Microbiome can be altered by the presence of a certain type of predator. Christine Kaimer's team studied the predatory Myxococcus xanthus, which is found in soil. According to recent work, M. xanthus kills its prey cell in direct cell-cell contact: the predator approaches a prey cell, stops once contact has been made, and then causes cell death and decomposition in a few minutes. In close detail, the researchers have studied the mechanisms of this process.
Christine Kaimer says that they made specific genetic modifications to M xanthus and monitored the interaction of predator and prey cells under the microscope. We were able to show that the killing process can be accomplished with the help of two specialized secretion systems. The predator cell is likely to have these complexes that transport the predator's genes into the prey cell. The Tad-like apparatus causes cell deaths to prey. A type 3-like system is required for decomposing the prey cell so that it can be absorbed.
Killing started with perfect accuracy.
The M xanthus cell has a contact site between predator and prey that is visible in the fluorescent images. It looks like M. xanthus can initiate the killing process with great precision.
Christine Kaimer says that they don't yet know how the proteins release reacts to contact with prey. It's a fascinating field of research where we still have a lot to learn about howbacteria coexist in their natural environment.
More information: Susanne Thiery et al, The predatory soil bacterium Myxococcus xanthus combines a Tad- and an atypical type 3-like protein secretion system to kill bacterial cells, Cell Reports (2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111340 Journal information: Cell Reports
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