In the presence of antibiotics and chemicals, bacteria don't just lie down, crumble and die. They communicate with each other to survive. An American study found bacteria communicate with each other, like brain cells, to endure.
The findings change the way the scientific community think of bacteria. Often thought to be solidary creatures, the recent study conducted by biologists from the University of California (UC) San Diego shed light on how bacteria are more sophisticated and social than people thought. The detailed study revealed bacteria living in 'communities' use a protein called 'ion channels' to talk with each other especially during antibiotic attacks, same with neurons in the human brain.
"Just like the neurons in our brain, we found that bacteria use ion channels to communicate with each other through electrical signals. In this way, the community of bacteria within biofilms appears to function much like a 'microbial brain'," said research head Gürol Süel, UC San Diego's molecular biology associate professor.
The team examined the communication that happens within biofilms, which are structured communities wherein millions of bacterial cells are heavily packed. These bacterial communities can form visible thin strong structures that are resilient to chemicals. Best example would be tartar on the teeth.
The study was inspired by a previous study published in July 2015 where they found bacteria in biofilms have the ability to solve social struggles among themselves, a social event quite similar in human communities. The bacterial cells who live on the edge of the biofilm have unlimited access to nutrients. But when the community grows to a specific size, they stop growing to allow nutrients, particularly glutamate, to nourish the biofilm's center cells which are often kept sheltered. This community rule keeps the innermost bacterial cells alive and able to survive attacks.
The study shed light on the brain, bacteria and their shared communication skills. All senses stem from the neuron's electrical communications through the ion channels. The research team found out that bacteria use the same tactic to settle metabolic stress. Süel added that the findings suggest neurological conditions caused by metabolic stress may stem from bacterial activities. This could lead to the discovery of new treatments using a bacterial perspective.
The researchers published their findings in the journal Nature on Oct. 21, 2015.
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