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Microbial genetics

Horizontal gene transfer of antibacterial genes

Nature Reviews Genetics volume 16, page 5 (2015)Cite this article

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Horizontally transferred genes with wide-ranging antibacterial properties may prove useful as new sources of antibiotic drugs, a study in eLife suggests. Metcalf et al. identified a bacterial lysozyme gene family with an unprecedented spread through horizontal gene transfer across the tree of life and diverse ecological contexts: the gene encoding glycosyl hydrolase 25 muramidase was found in a number of bacterial species, in eukaryotes (specifically in several fungal species, a plant and an insect) and in archaea (specifically in a single-cell microbe that lives in hot, deep-sea vents). Recombinant archaeal lysozyme exhibited broad-spectrum, dose-dependent antibacterial action. Moreover, when co-cultured with bacteria, lysozyme gene transcription was increased in the archaeon. This finding lends further support to the hypothesis that the transferred muramidase functions as a potent antibacterial molecule.

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References

  1. Metcalf, J. A. et al. Antibacterial gene transfer across the tree of life. eLife 3, e04266 (2014)

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  1. Linda Koch
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Koch, L. Horizontal gene transfer of antibacterial genes. Nat Rev Genet 16, 5 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrg3880

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