Humans have a very specific advantage that bacteria do not possess. We have sex. It confers to us a certain mutability that, while we can only spawn a tiny fraction of their birthrate, allows us as multicellular organisms to proliferate. However, there is a problem. We may someday be able to clone ourselves as readily as bacteria, but bacteria are finding a more efficient of exchanging beneficial genes.
An article from sciencedaily.com explains that bacteria can trade beneficial gene through an ancient process called HGT. HGT, or Horizontal Gene Transfer, is a means by which even distantly related bacteria can transfer genes from one to another without the need of sexual reproduction. Obviously, the fear is that antibiotic-resistant bacteria would spread their traits to other potentially dangerous bacteria. It’s the fear of “super-bugs.”
Now the reason this is important to Animal Communication, to me, is that HGT is a means by which even single celled organisms can communicate. It’s more than just a transfer of signals; it is literally a trading of information. The fact that bacteria can communicate does not surprise me. The fact that bacteria can communicate and use it to improve their core genetics does. It’s as though the bacteria have found a way to bypass natural selection, though of course the process is nowhere near that sophisticated. Personally, I have some questions.
How far does the process of HGT spread? Are we going to witness the rise of some terrible new disease? And can the process possibly have a beneficial aspect to medicine?
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111101125958.htm
Posted by Jacob Lane (5)
This is an interesting interpretation of what communication is. I agree with this being a transfer of information, but I'm not in concurrence that exchanging DNA is actually communication. This 'information' is not actually a signal for me. Instead, for me, whatever information that passes between the organisms to set up the transfer of DNA 'information' would be the signal.
ReplyDeleteBy Joseph Needleman
This was a really interesting post. I wonder what the signal is to start HGT. If there was something to start up the sequence of events . Also there has to be a way to see which genes are sent horizontally. Also I wonder if this occurs with any eukaryotes since the mitochondria and chloroplast used to be individual prokaryotes.
ReplyDeleteJobin Oommen
For such tiny organisms, they sure can do amazing things! Although it is scary to think that this HGT could eventually produce a horrible outbreak of disease, I believe that scientists could manipulate this process to their advantage as well. If these organisms can indeed transfer any gene they want, i wonder if medical researcher could find a way to control which genes the bacteria are passes. If they discovered this, I feel as though they could create more cures for existing diseases much more easily.
ReplyDeletePosted by Sara Corey
Bacteria are scary. Their ability to conduct horizontal gene transfer allow them to evolve rapidly and without this process they'd probably be extinct. I'm curious to how many how the process of HGT works. How many genes are transferred in this process? Because of HGT I believe that someday there will be a super bug that is resistant to almost everything and will create a huge epidemic.
ReplyDeletePosted by Nick Gast
I don't really see this as communication, only in a very abstract sense. HGT may facilitate the receiving bacteria's ability to better understand their surroundings in some way, but it is not actually giving the receiving bacteria any information about the environment. That they must find on their own, possibly using one of their new genes to help them. I also don't think that this is bypassing natural selection. There must be different skill levels in successfully transferring genes between bacteria, and what genes are able to be transferred. It just goes against the laws of science that there is one organism out there that has such a huge advantage in the basic process that determines the evolution of every other species.
ReplyDeletePosted by Chelsea Van Thof