Scientists at The University of Texas at Austin have made a groundbreaking discovery revealing that bacteria, lacking traditional neural structures, can develop something akin to memories. These memories influence the formation of strategies leading to potentially harmful infections, including antibiotic resistance and bacterial swarms. The research, centered on a common chemical element, has implications for preventing and addressing bacterial infections.
The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, sheds light on how E. coli bacteria employ iron levels to store information about various behaviors. This stored information can be activated in response to specific stimuli, suggesting a memory-like mechanism in bacterial cells.
While bacteria lack brains, neurons, and nervous systems, the researchers found that these microorganisms can gather information from their environment. If exposed to an environment frequently, they can store and access that information, utilizing it for their benefit.
Lead author Souvik Bhattacharyya, a provost early career fellow in the Department of Molecular Biosciences at UT, explained, “Bacteria don’t have brains, but they can gather information from their environment, and if they have encountered that environment frequently, they can store that information and quickly access it later for their benefit.”
The key player in this bacterial memory system is iron, one of the Earth’s most abundant elements. The researchers observed that bacterial cells with lower iron levels displayed enhanced swarming behavior. Conversely, bacteria forming biofilms or exhibiting antibiotic tolerance had higher iron levels. These iron-based memories persisted for at least four generations and disappeared by the seventh generation.
Bhattacharyya noted, “Before there was oxygen in the Earth’s atmosphere, early cellular life was utilizing iron for a lot of cellular processes. Iron is not only critical in the origin of life on Earth, but also in the evolution of life.”
Researchers theorize that low iron levels trigger bacterial memories to form a migratory swarm, seeking out iron in the environment. In contrast, high iron levels signal that the environment is conducive to forming biofilms.
“Iron levels are definitely a target for therapeutics because iron is an important factor in virulence,” Bhattacharyya said. “Ultimately, the more we know about bacterial behavior, the easier it is to combat them.”
Funded by the National Institutes of Health, the study contributes to a deeper understanding of bacterial behavior, offering potential avenues for developing therapeutics against bacterial infections and antibiotic resistance.
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