What is E. coli?
Escherichia coli bacteria, also known as E. coli, are rod-shaped, gram-negative bacteria found in the intestines of humans and animals. It can cause illness by entering the body through contaminated food or water or contact with human or animal fecal matter. It’s estimated that 2 million people in the US are infected with E. coli each year, and many of these infections come from contaminated food or water.
Where is bacterial DNA found?
Bacterial DNA is found in the cell’s cytoplasm and the cell wall. The DNA is located in the cytoplasm of a bacterial cell. The cytoplasm is where all chemical reactions that produce proteins, lipids, and other substances occur. The DNA also resides on a nucleoid structure, which can be seen as a bunch of clumped-up chromosomes. The DNA also resides on structures called plasmids, which are small circular pieces of DNA that can take up residence within another species’ genome and provide that organism with new traits. The bacterial cell wall is made out of peptidoglycan (chains of sugars and amino acids) and acts as an outer protective barrier for the cell.
How can E. coli trigger undischarged viral grenades in the nearby DNA of neighboring bacteria?
Colibactin is a substance produced by certain E. coli bacteria, some of which dwell in intestinal tracts. Researchers reported in Nature on February 23 that this chemical wake latent viruses inside surrounding bacteria, potentially leading to widespread demise. This form of bacteria-on-bacteria combat has never been described previously. An evolutionary microbiologist from the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, Heather Hendrickson, stated, “It’s an interesting strategy, and it’s also a dangerous strategy.”
Producers of colibactin must sneak up on the bacterial foes and detonate the artillery emplacements hidden in their DNA. These grenades are prophages, bacteria-infecting pathogens that have incorporated themselves into the DNA of their hosts, where they remain innocuous and inactive until triggered. However, once these highly contagious grenades have exploded, they can transmit to other bacteria, subjecting the attacking bacterium and other nearby germs to biological fragmentation.
According to current research, E. coli may produce colibactin as a defense mechanism against other microorganisms rather than to attack human hosts. According to Hendrickson, “It’s easy to forget that there’s this continual conversation and warfare going on between bacteria, and we might not be the focus of their activities.” The researchers aren’t sure if colibactin can cause prophages in bacteria in the native environments, including humans and other animal intestines. Besides, it’s possible that reawakening the viruses was an accident.
