Versatility in genetic expression aids rapid microbial evolution
Tuesday, April 1, 2014 - 08:31
in Biology & Nature
Microbiologists from Trinity College Dublin have discovered that an identical protein is used differently by two species of bacteria to help them cope with distinct types of environmental stress. The discovery reveals an extraordinary level of versatility in the way different genes are 'switched on' in bacteria, which in turn helps to explain how they evolve so quickly.