COSEE Ocean Systems: News
Viruses con bacteria into working for them
Description: Researchers have discovered that certain photosynthetic ocean bacteria should beware of viruses bearing gifts: These viruses are carrying genetic material taken from their previous bacterial hosts that tricks the new host into using its own machinery to activate the genes, a process never before documented in any virus-bacteria relationship. The con occurs when a virus injects its DNA into a bacterium living in a phosphorus-starved region of the ocean. [Source: MIT News]
URL: http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2012/virus-coevolution-0126.html
Availability: Full Text
Source: MIT News
Publish Date: 1/26/2012
Reading Level: Basic
Page Length:  

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