In human reproduction, the genes of the mother and father are combined and mixed in countless variations. Their offspring can differ significantly from one another. However, bacteria multiply by simple cell division, so that the two daughter cells carry the same genetic material as the mother cell. A research team led by Dr. Simon Heilbronner from the Interfaculty Institute for Microbiology and Infection Medicine at the University of Tübingen and the German Center for Infection Research has recently discovered how infectious bacteria can produce genetic variants among sibling cells. Certain sections of the genetic material are doubled or multiplied. This gives the bacteria new capabilities that make it possible for them to influence the immune system of the host in their favor. The results of this study, published in the journal Nature Communications, provide important information on how pathogens develop and adapt in their battle against the human immune system.
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Source: Phys.org