A bacterial symbiont is converted from an inedible producer of beneficial molecules into food by a single mutation in the gacA gene.

Stallforth P, Brock DA, Cantley AM, Tian X, Queller DC, Strassmann JE, Clardy J (2013) A bacterial symbiont is converted from an inedible producer of beneficial molecules into food by a single mutation in the gacA gene. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 110(36), 14528-14533. PubMed

Abstract

Stable multipartite mutualistic associations require that all partners benefit. We show that a single mutational step is sufficient to turn a symbiotic bacterium from an inedible but host-beneficial secondary metabolite producer into a host food source. The bacteria's host is a

Involved Units and Groups

Chemistry of Microbial Communication

HKI-Authors

Dr. Pierre Stallforth

Topics

Iron uptake and transport

Bacterial Two-Component Systems

Identifier

doi: 10.1073/pnas.1308199110 PMID: 23898207