Bacterial transformation articles from across Nature Portfolio

The phage-encoded arbitrium communication system controls the activity of the host bacterial toxin–antitoxin system MazE–MazF to regulate lysis–lysogeny decision.

Orthologs of natural competence genes are conserved in non-competent bacterial species, suggesting they have a role other than in transformation. Here, the authors show that competence induction in Staphylococcus aureus occurs in response to reactive oxygen species and host defenses that compromise bacterial respiration during infection, leading to increased DNA and glucose uptake and glycolytic flux.

Many bacteria can take up exogenous DNA, in a process that often requires surface appendages composed of thousands of protein subunits called pilins. Here, Braus et al. show that a minor pilin binds directly to DNA and is important for DNA uptake in the pathogen Legionella pneumophila.

Type IV pili (T4P) are retractile appendages used by bacteria for DNA uptake and other purposes. T4P extension is thought to occur through the action of a single motor protein, PilB. Here, Ellison et al. show that T4P synthesis in Acinetobacter baylyi depends not only on PilB but also on an additional, distinct motor, TfpB.

This study finds that quorum sensing, which is induced at high cell density, activates CRISPR–Cas immunity inPseudomonas aeruginosa.

The first visualization and detailed characterization of the DNA-uptake apparatus that is involved in natural transformation inVibrio cholerae.