BacterioFiles 333 - Transposons Take Targeting Tool

Transposon structure
By Jacek FH, CC BY-SA 3.0

This episode: Certain transposons, genetic elements that move around the genome on their own, have co-opted the bacterial immune system, CRISPR, to use for jumping to new hosts!

Thanks to Dr. Joseph Peters for his contribution!
Download Episode (10.7 MB, 11.75 minutes)

Show notes:
Microbe of the episode: Streptomyces yokosukanensis

Journal Paper:
Peters JE, Makarova KS, Shmakov S, Koonin EV. 2017. Recruitment of CRISPR-Cas systems by Tn7-like transposons. Proc Natl Acad Sci 114:E7358–E7366.

Other interesting stories:

Microbe found producing antibiotic previously only known to be man-made (paper)

Modifying genetics to change bacterial colony colors

Making microbe communities that help plants in specific ways

Gut microbes can protect mice against death from sepsis

Fungus affects cicada behavior to infect more hosts

Post questions or comments here or email to bacteriofiles@gmail.com. Thanks for listening!

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Episode outline:

BacterioFiles 332 - Moth Minors Missing Microbes

Manduca sexta caterpillar,
tobacco hornworm

This episode: Unlike most animals, caterpillars don't seem to have a resident gut microbe to help them in various ways!

Thanks to Tobin Hammer for his contribution!
Download Episode (14 MB, 15.3 minutes)

Show notes:
Microbe of the episode: Borrelia graingeri

News item

Journal Paper:
Hammer TJ, Janzen DH, Hallwachs W, Jaffe SP, Fierer N. 2017. Caterpillars lack a resident gut microbiome. Proc Natl Acad Sci 114:9641–9646.

Other interesting stories:

Improving viral delivery of gene therapy across blood-brain barrier

Engineered gut bacteria bind bowel cancer and kill it with vegetables

Making bacteria into synthetic phage factories (paper)

Preventing contamination of industrial algae cultures using predatory bacteria (paper)

Finding potential new antibiotics in cockroach microbes (paper)

Post questions or comments here or email to bacteriofiles@gmail.com. Thanks for listening!

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Episode outline:

BacterioFiles 331 - Password Protein Poisons Pairings

Myxobacteria fruiting bodies
By Trance Gemini, CC-BY 3.0

This episode: How social bacteria societies function: by sharing enzyme packages with each other that can contain toxins that are deadly for rivals but not for friends!

Thanks to Chris Vasallo for his contribution!
Download Episode (12.4 MB, 13.6 minutes)

Show notes:
Microbe of the episode: Propionibacterium virus PAD20

News item

Journal Paper:
Vassallo CN, Cao P, Conklin A, Finkelstein H, Hayes CS, Wall D. 2017. Infectious polymorphic toxins delivered by outer membrane exchange discriminate kin in myxobacteria. eLife 6:e29397.

Other interesting stories:

Attaching proteins to little bioplastic beads to make useful nanoparticles (paper)

Fungi are very important for nutrient cycling in the world

Friendly soil microbes inject plant pathogens with toxin

Microbes are carried around the world through the atmosphere

Arctic algae can grow even in super cold and dark conditions

Post questions or comments here or email to bacteriofiles@gmail.com. Thanks for listening!

Subscribe: iTunes, RSS, Google Play. Support the show at Patreon, or check out the show at Twitter or Facebook.

Episode outline:

BacterioFiles 330 - Polar Plasmid Produces Particles

Plasmid DNA
By de:Benutzer:Sec11, CC BY-SA 3.0

This episode: A plasmid discovered in Antarctic archaea can create virus-like particles, membrane vesicles, and transfer itself to new hosts!

Thanks to Rick Cavicchioli for his contribution.
Download Episode (17.7 MB, 19.4 minutes)

Show notes:
Microbe of the episode: Hypomicrogaster canadensis bracovirus

News item

Journal Paper:
Erdmann S, Tschitschko B, Zhong L, Raftery MJ, Cavicchioli R. 2017. A plasmid from an Antarctic haloarchaeon uses specialized membrane vesicles to disseminate and infect plasmid-free cells. Nat Microbiol 2:1446.

Other interesting stories:

Probiotic bacteria good at metabolizing potentially helpful plant compounds (paper)

Bacteria can harvest precious metals from waste to make catalytic particles (paper)

Bacteria help mice avoid chemotherapy-induced autoimmunity (paper)

Exercise could be healthy partly because it modifies gut microbe community

Gut microbe community may help some bats live long (paper)

Post questions or comments here or email to bacteriofiles@gmail.com. Thanks for listening!

Subscribe: iTunes, RSS, Google Play. Support the show at Patreon, or check out the show at Twitter or Facebook.

Episode outline: