Live instincts and self-defense depend heavily on the environment

In nature, prey and predators always develop in two opposite directions: one side is the defender and the other always promotes offensive weapons.

B bacteriovorus Bacteria-predator is using the whip to catch prey.(Left picture) The initial form of bacteria-prey P. fluorescens (right, top) and biofilm form (right photo, below).Photo: tempsreel.nouvelobs.com

A recent study on bacteria by French scientists has shown that the result of this parallel transformation process, in which the prey of the prey or the ability of the predator to be raised, is raised. Whether or not it depends largely on the living conditions of the environment.

Thanks to its rapid fertility, bacteria are the ideal research object for scientists interested in natural selection process over generations.

The research group on biology and development (of the French and University National Center for Scientific Research Pierre et Marie Curie) has studied natural selection mechanisms on 300 generations of bacteria, in which: vi Pseudomonas fluorescens is a prey and bacterium Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus is a predator (this bacterium will penetrate the prey and eat it from within).

Research by scientists published in Evolution magazine recently emphasized that the use of bacteria-hunting to kill harmful bacteria instead of antibiotics as previously suggested is not a Good methods because of their occurrence also means contributing to the selection of invasive bacteria.

Indeed, Romain Gallet and his colleagues simultaneously cultivated these two bacteria in the same environment and two different environments. To simulate changes in living conditions, they transferred part of the bacteria to different culture vessels.

By constantly changing the frequency and intensity of movement, scientists have realized that the process of development and transformation of these two bacteria is heterogeneous. Indeed, in pots without bacteria-hunting, bacteria-prey is still in its original form.

While in the presence of bacteria-prey, the prey will now change into two forms: a form of biofilm at the surface of the liquid, the second form grows at the bottom of the flask in an environment. lack of oxygen. (Biofilm is the aggregation of the bacterial cells adhering to the organic surface and infertility, including human tissue. Biofilm is resistant to antibiotics and helps the bacteria survive long-term in chronic infection).

Many prey are resistant to predatory bacteria. They develop diverse based on the intensity of the environment change. For bacteria-hunting, they also transform themselves to adapt to some of the above-mentioned bacteria-prey.