Post 8: A single mutation CHANGES EVERYTHING! 🪲

In microbial ecology, we use a set of genes to determine species through phylogenomic analysis. However, many question whether we can really delimit bacterial species in this way and whether species really exist at this level. The Takema team used a bacterium (E. coli) with a high mutation rate and replaced it with the obligate symbiont (Pantoea) of an insect. Without this obligate symbiont, the insect dies. However, they managed to colonize the insect with E. coli, and few survived, almost returning to their normal appearance in the last generation.

During this time, due to evolution, E. coli changed shape and reduced its genetic capacity such that it is now similar to that of the original symbiont. And the most surprising thing is that this process took ~2 years, which was thought to take much longer. So I wonder, do bacterial species exist? genera, families, classes? Market self-regulation?”

Refs:

1. Single mutation makes Escherichia coli an insect mutualist