Bistability in Bacteria: A New Insight into Disease and Antibiotic Resistance
UPSC Relevance
Prelims: Science and Technology - Developments and their applications and effects in everyday life; Awareness in the fields of Bio-technology; General issues on Health (Antibiotic Resistance).
Key Highlights from the News
Bistability is the phenomenon where there are significant differences in the activity of a particular gene (gene expression) even among genetically similar bacterial cells.
A new study found that the glpD gene in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a deadly bacterium notorious for causing hospital infections and being antibiotic-resistant, exhibits bistability.
Researchers proved that the high activity of the glpD gene is directly related to the bacterium's ability to cause disease (pathogenicity).
Scientists used the biotechnology tool Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) to visually observe when a gene is active in a cell.
The study suggests that some cells within a bacterial population might initiate infection by highly activating this gene.
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