Bacteria in the gut do far more than help digest food in the stomachs of their hosts; they can also tell the genes in their mammalian hosts what to do. A study describes a form of 'interspecies communication' in which bacteria secrete a specific molecule -- nitric oxide -- that allows them to communicate with and control their hosts' DNA, and suggests that the conversation between the two may broadly influence human health.
New 'interspecies communication' strategy between gut bacteria and mammalian hosts uncovered
Science Daily - 21 Feb 2019 20:02
Bacteria in the gut do far more than help digest food in the stomachs of their hosts; they can also tell the genes in their mammalian hosts what to do. A study describes a form of 'interspecies communication' in which bacteria secrete a specific molecule -- nitric oxide -- that allows them to communicate with and control their hosts' DNA, and suggests that the conversation between the two may broadly influence human health.
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