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H-NS gives invading DNA the silent treatment

Nature Chemical Biology volume 2, pages 400–401 (2006)Cite this article

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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Figure 1: A model for the regulation of foreign DNA in bacteria.

Katie Ris

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  1. Department of Chemistry at Wayne State University, 5101 Cass Avenue, Detroit, 48202, Michigan, USA

    Mary Kay H Pflum

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  1. Mary Kay H Pflum
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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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