Bacteria harness viruses to distinguish friend from foe
Tuesday, April 16, 2019 - 10:10
in Biology & Nature
Bacterial cells that normally colonize our guts can distinguish themselves from other bacterial species using what's traditionally considered their enemy—a virus. Researchers report April 16 in the journal Cell Reports that some bacteria use viruses that have infected them (i.e., phages) for self-recognition and thereby show greater fitness, repelling competitors that lack this adaptation.