Understanding
how bacteria adapt so quickly to changes in their external environment with
continued high growth rates is one of the major research challenges in
molecular microbiology. This is important for understanding of resistance to
antibiotics.
A
research study from Uppsala University has presnted a model of how bacteria can
rapidly adapt to environmental changes through smart regulation of their gene
expression.
The
study, published in the journal of the American National Academy of Sciences
PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences), presents a theoretical
model that determines the ultimate limit for how quickly bacteria can adapt
their protein levels to changes in their living environment.
For
rapid growth in different environments, bacteria need to adjust their enzyme
levels in order to rapidly benefit from the nutrient mix that is currently
available in the surrounding. If the living environment undergoes rapid
changes, the bacterium's own production of proteins has to conform to these
changes in an effective way.
The
growth of bacteria is determined not only by the composition of their
surroundings but also by sudden changes in the living environment. This has
been known since the middle of the 20th century. High levels of bacteria growth
in a stable environment requires a certain kind of physiology, but
environmental changes also require rapid adjustments of the bacteria's protein
production. The newly developed model indicates the 'minimum' time such
adjustments require.
For
further details, see:
Posted by Tim Sandle
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