Donor bacteria (green) attract recipient bacteria (red) to mating clusters. Conjugation events are represented Red bacteria displaying yellow dots.
Credit Dr. Michal Bejerano-Sagie and Dr. Saurabh Bhattacharya
A groundbreaking study from the Faculty of Medicine at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem has uncovered a vital link between bacterial movement and the spread of antibiotic resistance. Led by Professors Sigal Ben-Yehuda and Ilan Rosenshine from the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, the research reveals that the rotation of bacterial flagella—tiny whip-like structures used for movement—directly activates genes responsible for DNA transfer between bacteria.
The bacterial flagellum is a complex, whip-like appendage that protrudes from the cell body of many bacteria. It is a sophisticated nanomachine responsible for locomotion, allowing bacteria to move through liquid environments and over surfaces. However, the flagellum can also play roles in adhesion, biofilm formation, and even act as a sensory organelle.
This gene exchange process, known as bacterial conjugation, plays a critical role in the spread of antibiotic resistance. While previously thought to occur mainly on solid surfaces, the research focused on pLS20, a common conjugative plasmid in Bacilli species, and found it behaves differently in liquid environments. The study shows that flagellar rotation acts as a mechanical signal, triggering the activation of specific genes that facilitate DNA transfer.
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Importantly, only a subset of donor bacteria respond to this mechano-signal, forming tight clusters with recipient cells to ensure close contact and efficient gene transfer. The researchers demonstrated that it is not merely the presence of flagella, but their rotational movement that is essential. Disabling flagellar rotation—either genetically or by increasing fluid viscosity—led to a significant drop in conjugation rates.
These findings highlight a crucial new mechanism in the fight against antibiotic resistance, emphasizing how bacterial motility contributes to the spread of resistant genes in fluid environments such as the human body. The research opens new avenues for targeting bacterial movement as a strategy to combat the rise of superbugs.
“Our study brings about a novel notion that synchronizing DNA transfer with the bacterial motile lifestyle provides the plasmid with the advantage of spreading into remote ecological niches,” said Prof. Sigal Ben-Yehuda
These findings provide valuable insight into how mobile genetic elements synchronize with host physiology to enhance their own transmission. Understanding these mechanisms may help in developing new strategies to limit the spread of antibiotic resistance—a major public health concern.
