In the gut, in the soil, and myriad other spots, bacteria reign, forming complex communities—but not in isolation. They’re often influenced by bacteria-killing viruses known as bacteriophages. A recent study in Cell now shows how such viruses can infect bystander, virus-resistant bacteria and transfer bits of DNA to them.
Bacteriophages, viruses that infect bacteria, are the planet’s most numerous microorganisms. They kill vast numbers of bacteria in natural environments. They can also be used to treat bacterial infections.
Viruses called phages hijack bacteria and use them to produce more copies of themselves. Now researchers have found they can also communicate.
Viruses sense chemical signals left behind by their forebears so they can decide whether to kill or just to infect their hosts.
Dodge Pond, which sits on the outskirts of East Lyme, Conn., is an ordinary New England lake. It’s home to fish like bluegill and alewife, along with smaller organisms like water fleas, algae, and bacteria. There are viruses in Dodge Pond, too, most of which infect its bacteria. And one of Dodge Pond’s viruses, known as OMKO1, has now earned it a place in medical history.
