Researchers have identified a virus that is capable of “ spying ” on the molecular communications between bacteria – and now they ’ve weaponize the ability so that the virus kills bacterium on program line . This approach has been used by investigator to snipe bacterial diseases like salmonella , Indian cholera , andE. coli .
The work , published in the journalCell , was conducted by Professor Bonnie Bassler and alumnus bookman Justin Silpe from Princeton University . They discovered that the computer virus VP882 listen in to make a binary choice : delay put or kill its bacterial host . Kill only happens if the virus screw that the bacteria is not alone , so that it can safely destroy the bacteria and move on to the next target .
“ The idea that a computer virus is detecting a molecule that bacteria expend for communication – that is brand - new , ” explained Bassler in astatement . “ Justin found this first naturally occurring case , and then he re - engineered that virus so that he can ply any receptive input signal he chooses , rather than the communicating speck , and then the virus kills on demand . ”
old age ago , Bassler had observe that bacteria can communicate using chemical substance signals to detect each other . These molecular messages wait on to establish a quorum before bacterium act in unison . The discovery of a quorum - sense virus was shocking .
“ The bugs are getting bugged , ” Bassler laughingly tell . “ Plus , Justin ’s work shows that these quorum - feel particle are conveying information across kingdom boundary . They may not all be listening in to this quorum - sensing information , but it is clear-cut that these viruses can heed in to their legion ’ information and then use that information to stamp out them . ”
VP882 is the first do it computer virus to use this trans - kingdom communication as an activation strategy . This could potentially be a gravid weapon in the conflict against antibiotic resistance . The team just had to experiment on the computer virus until they ground a way to communicate a “ kill ” ordering , which they then demonstrate in various infective bacteria .
“ communicating seems like such an evolved trait , ” Silpe commented . “ It was just judgement - blowing that organism you think of as so primitive could actually be capable of communication . And virus are even simpler than bacterium . The one I studied , for example , only has about 70 factor . It ’s really remarkable that it devotes one of those genes to quorum smell . Communication is distinctly not something high organisms create . ”
The squad believes there are many virus that act like VP882 and that this is the start of a whole fresh field .
