Science: Bacteria can switch their immune functions at an alarming rate to fight viruses

Bacterial viruses, also known as bacteriophages, can destroy bacteria

Predatory interactions between bacteria and phages

Bacteriophages are viruses that use bacteria as host cells

International research team discovers rapid exchange of mobile defense genes

The research team studied in detail how bacteria defend against viruses

The defense against viruses shaped the evolution of bacteria

Each bacterium not only has the same core genome as all other bacteria, but also contains mobile genetic elements

Rotem Sorek, a professor at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, commented on these findings: "These findings draw attention to the importance of phage defense in the microbial world

Evolutionary analysis of the innate defense mechanism of marine vibrio

This study analyzed the defense mechanisms inherent in the genome

The importance of designing phage-based treatments

The interaction between bacteriophages and bacteria is very special

DOI

10.

Article title

Rapid evolutionary turnover of mobile genetic elements drives bacterial resistance to phages.