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Effects of DNA Damage on Natural Transformation in Bacillus subtilis
Author(s) -
Korry Benjamin Joseph,
Belenky Peter A
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.31.1_supplement.906.22
Subject(s) - horizontal gene transfer , bacillus subtilis , biology , gene , genetics , dna , exogenous dna , transformation (genetics) , bacteria , microorganism , dna damage , genome
Horizontal gene transfer is an important mechanism that promotes rapid evolution in microbial communities. Understanding how environmental conditions impact horizontal gene transfer in microorganisms can identify factors that lead to the transfer of virulence and antibiotic resistance genes. Natural transformation is a form of horizontal gene transfer that allows bacteria to take up and incorporate extracellular double stranded DNA. Competence machinery utilized for the import of DNA is typically induced by cellular state or external stimuli. Following import, DNA is recombined into the genome in a RecA‐dependent fashion. Cellular stress has been shown to modulate natural transformation in various bacterial species by targeting either the competence or recombination machinery. Here we investigate the links between genotoxic stress and changes in the rate of natural transformation in naturally competent B. subtilis . We find that genotoxic agents have divergent impacts likely related to their effects on DNA replication and processing in bacteria. Traditional high‐throughput methods are applied to analyze transcriptional responses induced by genotoxic agents in order to link known mechanisms of natural transformation to phenotypic outcomes. Support or Funding Information “Monitoring the Impact of Climate Change Stressors on Horizontal Gene Transfer in Marine Microbial Populations” 2016. Rhode Island Research Alliance Collaborative Research Grant, Rhode Island Science & Technology Advisory Council