Tag Archives: DNA:

The bacterium Escherichia can reproduce sexually using viral DNA.

By | October 2th 2026
0 comment
Escherichia coli under the microscope. Credits: Manfred Rohde, HZI Center for Infection Research

Researchers at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) have discovered that Escherichia coli, under starvation stress, can use bacteriophages and CRISPR-Cas immunity to transfer DNA and integrate it into its own genome. This accelerates genetic recombination. The process resembles a primitive form of sexual reproduction and could help bacterial populations adapt to changing conditions. The results were published in… Read more »

Plants can quickly repair damaged DNA – researchers find the reason

By | May 28
0 comment
Credits: Enrique Gonzalez-Duran, MPI-MP

Researchers have discovered a crucial role for rapid DNA repair in maintaining genome stability. A new study shows that the repair of double-strand breaks (DSBs) in nuclear DNA provides effective protection against the integration of foreign DNA from chloroplasts—a phenomenon that, while important for evolution, can severely destabilize the genome. The research expands our understanding… Read more »

Soil bacteria rely on double protection against plant defense substances

By | April 16, 2025
0 comment
Credits: Clemson University - USDA Cooperative Extension Slide Series, Bugwood.org

A team from Ruhr University Bochum and the Jülich Research Centre has investigated how plant-damaging bacteria defend themselves against their host's defense mechanisms. The researchers showed that the widespread plant pathogen Agrobacterium tumefaciens possesses two sensors that allow it to detect reactive oxygen species. Plants release these substances as a defense mechanism, thereby damaging DNA, lipids, and proteins… Read more »