Bacterial evolution: what goes around comes around

Brandon L Jutras; Christine Jacobs-Wagner

doi:10.1016/j.cub.2015.05.002

Bacterial evolution: what goes around comes around

Curr Biol. 2015 Jun 15;25(12):R496-8. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2015.05.002.

Authors

Brandon L Jutras¹, Christine Jacobs-Wagner²

Affiliations

¹ Microbial Sciences Institute, Yale University, West Haven, CT 06516, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
² Microbial Sciences Institute, Yale University, West Haven, CT 06516, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale Medical School, New Haven, CT 06520, USA. Electronic address: christine.jacobs-wagner@yale.edu.

PMID: 26079079
DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2015.05.002

Abstract

Over 3 billion years ago, cellular life began anaerobically. A new study now establishes a key link between oxidative stress and proliferation of wall-less bacteria known as L-forms. The finding provides insights into both the origin of life and the potential threat posed by pathogenic L-forms.

MeSH terms

Animals
Bacteria* / genetics
Biological Evolution*
Humans