Bacteria are capable of forming memories and transmitting them.
- Bacteria are capable of forming a kind of memory, according to a new study.
- They can pass on these “memories” to their offspring over at least four generations.
- This new discovery has implications for the treatment and prevention of bacterial infections.
Although they lack neurons, synapses and a nervous system, bacteria are capable of forming a kind of memory, according to a new study. What’s more, they can transmit these “memories” to their offspring over at least four generations.
“Bacteria don’t have a brain, but they can gather information about their environment and, if they have encountered that environment frequently, they can store that information and quickly access it later if it benefits them.” said the study’s lead author, Souvik Bhattacharyya.
How do bacteria make their memories?
Souvik Bhattacharyya and his colleagues studied Escherichia coli and found that this type of bacteria uses iron to “to memorize” certain behaviors, which can then be activated in response to the same stimuli.
Bacteria in fact have varying levels of iron within their body, a very important compound for their cellular metabolism.
According to the scientists, these memories formed thanks to iron persisted over four generations of bacteria and were naturally lost by the fifth. However, researchers found that by artificially increasing the bacteria’s iron levels, their memories could persist much longer.
Studying bacterial memories to fight bacterial infections
This new discovery has implications for the treatment and prevention of bacterial infections. It could also help fight against antibiotic resistance.
Bacterial infections are the second leading cause of death worldwide, just after heart problems. Five bacteria alone account for more than half of deaths: Staphylococcus aureus, E. coli, pneumococcus, Klebsellia pneumoniae and pyocyanin bacillus.
Antibiotic resistance is the phenomenon of bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics. Bacteria exposed to antibiotics evolve and develop defense mechanisms that allow them to escape their action. This phenomenon affects both the bacteria that cause infections (pathogenic bacteria) and the generally harmless bacteria that are naturally present on our body (so-called commensal bacteria).
