Monday, December 28, 2020

442 - Fossil Phototroph Phagocytosis

Fossilized coccolithophores
By Gibbs et al. 2020
Sci Adv 6:eabc9123
CC BY-NC 4.0
This episode: Algae surviving impact that killed the dinosaurs seem to have consumed other organisms to make it through the dark times!

Download Episode (7.1 MB, 10.3 minutes)

Show notes:
Microbe of the episode: Chaetoceros tenuissimus RNA virus 01


Takeaways
Being able to look through time and learn about what might have happened to creatures throughout Earth's history is what makes paleontology great. Everyone knows about dinosaurs and what happened to them at the end of the Cretaceous period thanks to science. But what we can learn is not limited just to large organisms; there are ways to learn about microorganisms of the past as well, including by looking at fossils!

In this study, fossils of hard-shelled algae from around the end of the dinosaurs show that many of these microbes in the oceans went extinct at the same time due to the massive space impact. Debris blocked out sunlight for years, making it difficult for photosynthetic organisms to survive. So some of these algae appear to have survived by preying on smaller organisms, pulling them in through a hole in their shell.

Journal Paper:
Gibbs SJ, Bown PR, Ward BA, Alvarez SA, Kim H, Archontikis OA, Sauterey B, Poulton AJ, Wilson J, Ridgwell A. 2020. Algal plankton turn to hunting to survive and recover from end-Cretaceous impact darkness. Sci Adv 6:eabc9123.
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Monday, December 21, 2020

441 - Hyphal Hijacker Helps Harvests

Fungus growing in root
By Zhang et al. 2020
Molec Plant 13:1420-1433
CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
This episode: A fungus-infecting virus transforms the fungal foe into a friend of its host plant!

Download Episode (6.1 MB, 8.9 minutes)

Show notes:
Microbe of the episode: Hepacivirus J


Takeaways
Viruses can be useful for treating various diseases, especially bacterial infections and cancer. Their ability to target certain cell types specifically makes them great at hunting down and killing disease-causing cells without harming the body's healthy tissue. And just as bacteriophages can work to treat bacterial disease in us, fungal viruses could help to treat serious fungal infections in crop plants.

In this study, a fungus-infecting virus goes beyond treating a deadly fungal disease in rapeseed plants. Fungus infected with this virus no longer causes disease, but lives in harmony with the host plant, protects it from other fungal diseases, and even helps it to grow better.

Journal Paper:
Zhang H, Xie J, Fu Y, Cheng J, Qu Z, Zhao Z, Cheng S, Chen T, Li B, Wang Q, Liu X, Tian B, Collinge DB, Jiang D. 2020. A 2-kb Mycovirus Converts a Pathogenic Fungus into a Beneficial Endophyte for Brassica Protection and Yield Enhancement. Mol Plant 13:1420–1433.

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Monday, December 14, 2020

440 - Prokaryotes Pay for Passage

Bacteria along fungal hyphae
By Abeysinghe et al. 2020,
Life Sci Alliance 3:e202000878
CC BY 4.0
This episode: Bacteria pay for the privilege of cruising around soil on fungus filaments!

Download Episode (7.7 MB, 11.2 minutes)

Show notes:
Microbe of the episode: Clostridium acetobutylicum


Takeaways
In the complex environment of soil, many different kinds of organisms coexist. Some compete with each other, while others cooperate in fascinating interactions. One example is how bacteria can swim through a film of water surrounding the filaments of fungi, allowing them to traverse more quickly and reach new locations.

In this study, an interaction between fungus and bacterium is discovered in which the bacteria benefit from the fungus in enhanced ability to travel, and the fungus benefits by absorbing vitamins that the bacteria produce.

Journal Paper:
Abeysinghe G, Kuchira M, Kudo G, Masuo S, Ninomiya A, Takahashi K, Utada AS, Hagiwara D, Nomura N, Takaya N, Obana N, Takeshita N. 2020. Fungal mycelia and bacterial thiamine establish a mutualistic growth mechanism. Life Sci Alliance 3(12):202000878.

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

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Android, or RSS. Support the show at Patreon, or check out the show at Twitter or Facebook.