Though uptake of beneficial foreign DNA confers fitness advantages to bacteria, the mechanisms protecting bacteria from harmful foreign DNA have been unclear. A new study suggests that the H-NS protein transcriptionally silences invading DNA by recognizing its low G-C content, thereby protecting cell viability during bacterial evolution.
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Pflum, M. H-NS gives invading DNA the silent treatment. Nat Chem Biol 2, 400–401 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/nchembio0806-400
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nchembio0806-400
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