A Gene For Host Selection

摘要

An understanding of the beneficial relationships between bacteria and animals has become important in several areas of biology, including pathogenic microbiology. Many pathogens display specificity for a single host or tissue, but the molecular basis for such specificity is largely unknown. A comparative genomic study of host specificity in the mutualism between the sepiolid squid Euprymna scolopes and the bio-luminescent bacteria Vibriofischeri now demonstrates that the presence of a single bacterial gene, the regulatory gene rscS, can modify host range.