Horizontally transferred genes with wide-ranging antibacterial properties may prove useful as new sources of antibiotic drugs, a study in eLife suggests. Metcalf et al. identified a bacterial lysozyme gene family with an unprecedented spread through horizontal gene transfer across the tree of life and diverse ecological contexts: the gene encoding glycosyl hydrolase 25 muramidase was found in a number of bacterial species, in eukaryotes (specifically in several fungal species, a plant and an insect) and in archaea (specifically in a single-cell microbe that lives in hot, deep-sea vents). Recombinant archaeal lysozyme exhibited broad-spectrum, dose-dependent antibacterial action. Moreover, when co-cultured with bacteria, lysozyme gene transcription was increased in the archaeon. This finding lends further support to the hypothesis that the transferred muramidase functions as a potent antibacterial molecule.
References
Metcalf, J. A. et al. Antibacterial gene transfer across the tree of life. eLife 3, e04266 (2014)
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Koch, L. Horizontal gene transfer of antibacterial genes. Nat Rev Genet 16, 5 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrg3880
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrg3880