THE PREFERENCE PRIORITY OF Bacillus subtilis IN UPTAKING FREE DNA DURING THE NATURAL TRANSFORMATION

Genetik materyal nesiller arasında genellikle eşeyli veya eşeysiz üreme yoluyla dikey olarak aktarılsa da, akraba olmayan organizmaların bazı kromozom ve gen kısımlarındaki büyük benzerlikler, başka bir aktarım yolu olabileceğini gösterir. Farklı organizmalar arasında genetik bilginin hareketliliği olarak bilinen yatay gen transferi (YGT), alıcı konak üzerinde ani veya gecikmeli etkilere sahiptir. YGT'nin en dikkate değer mekanizmalarından biri, hücrelerin hücre dışı ortamdan serbest DNA aldığı ve homolog rekombinasyon yoluyla kromozomlarına dâhil ettiği bir süreç olan doğal transformasyondur (DT). DT, direnç genlerinin yayılmasını teşvik edebildiği için birçok bakteri türünde yaygın olarak korunur. Birçok organizmanın YGT gerçekleştirdiği bilinmesine rağmen, organizmaların yatay olarak aktarılan genetik materyale nasıl karar verdiği hakkındaki bilgi sınırlıdır.Burada, DT yeteneğine sahip Bacillus subtilis'in belirli stres koşulları altında sunulan farklı gen kaynakları arasından seçim önceliğini araştırdım. Bunu test etmek için, aynı uzunlukta fakat farklı dizi içeriğine sahip iki DNA örneği (E ve C), farklı stres ortamları (BK, BC, BE ve BCE) altında B. subtilis'e sunuldu. Hipotez, DT sonrasında seçici plakalar (pE, pC ve pCE) üzerinde oluşan kolonilerin analiz sonuçlarına göre değerlendirildi.Elde edilen veriler, DT sırasında bakterilerin bir uyarıcıya bağlı olarak tercih önceliğine sahip olduğuna dair güçlü bir pozitif korelasyon sunmuştur. Bakterilerin belirli bir ortamda yararlı DNA parçalarını alma eğilimi gösterdiği söylenebilir, örneğin, dönüştürme ortamı bir indükleyici olarak erythromycin (Eryt) içerdiğinde kolonilerin çoğunluğu pC ve pCE yerine pE plakaları üzerinde büyümüştür. Veriler, bakterilerin DT sırasında serbest DNA'ları almak için bir tercih önceliğine sahip olduğu iddiasıyla önemli ölçüde örtüşse de, verileri güçlü bir şekilde desteklemek ve fenomeni doğru bir şekilde anlamak için daha fazla araştırmaya ihtiyaç vardır.

THE PREFERENCE PRIORITY OF Bacillus subtilis IN UPTAKING FREE DNA DURING THE NATURAL TRANSFORMATION

Although genetic material is vertically transferred between generations via sexual or asexual reproduction, similarities in some chromosome and gene parts of unrelated organisms provide important clues for another way of transfer. The mobility of genetic information among different organisms, known as horizontal gene transfer (HGT) has immediate or delayed effects on the recipient host. One of the most notable mechanisms of HGT is natural transformation (NT), a process in which cells take free DNA from the extracellular environment and incorporate it into their chromosomes by homologous recombination. NT is widely conserved in many bacterial species as it can promote to spread of resistance genes. Although it is known that many organisms rely on HGT, there is limited information about how they decide which particular genetic material to horizontally transfer. Here, I have investigated the preference priority among different gene sources presented under certain stress conditions for Bacillus subtilis possessing NT ability. To test this, two DNA specimens (E and C) with different sequence contents of the same length were presented to B. subtilis under different stress environments (BK, BC, BE and BCE). The hypothesis was evaluated according to the analysis of the results of colonial formations on selective plates (pE, pC and pCE). The obtained data presented a strong positive correlation that the bacteria have preference priority during NT depending on a stimulator. The tendency of the bacteria to uptake useful DNA fragments in a specific environment can be suggested. For instance, the majority of colonies grow on pE plates rather than the pC and pCE when the transformation media includes erythromycin (Eryt) as an inducer. Although the data significantly overlaps with the idea claiming that the bacteria have a preference priority to uptake free DNAs during NT, further investigations are needed to support the present data and for better understanding of the phenomenon.

Keywords:

Horizontal gene transfer, Natural competence, Bacteria DNA uptake mechanism,

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