Marine bacteria form an unusual partnership in vitamin B12 production

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Two species of marine bacteria in the North Sea have established an unusual and sometimes destructive relationship to produce vital B vitamins.12. This was reported in an academic journal by researchers from Oldenburg, Germany, and San Diego, USA. Nature. The researchers’ experiments showed that two microbial species have developed a coordinated strategy to acquire a rare but essential vitamin.

A German-American research team led by microbiologist Dr. Gerrit Wienhausen from the University of Oldenburg, Germany, has taken an important step towards understanding the highly complex interactions between marine microorganisms. Researchers carried out various experiments to analyze the interaction between two species of marine bacteria from the North Sea in the synthesis of vitamin B12 and published their results in a scientific journal. Nature.

Vitamin B12 is essential but scarce in the ocean (and elsewhere). This is essential not only for the metabolism of the two bacteria investigated in this study, but also for many other marine organisms. “Half of all algae cannot survive without this vitamin,” Wienhausen explains. However, like humans, algae cannot produce B12 on their own. So researchers at Oldenburg University and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego (USA) were eager to take a closer look at B12 synthesis in marine bacteria.

Complex interactions between two bacterial strains

Certain bacterial strains are known as vitamin B,12 Dear Growers, This research project focused on two strains. Rose Ovarius and Colwellia a genus that each produces only one of the two components of vitamin B12In other words, substances can only be synthesized by cooperating with each other. “It’s interesting how complex the interactions between bacteria are,” Wienhausen emphasizes regarding this new study. The study was carried out as part of the Roseobacter Collaborative Research Center, headed by Oldenburg microbiologist Dr. Meinhard Simon. Publication.

Using complex laboratory experiments and cutting-edge analytical tools, the researchers were able to investigate the interaction between the two bacterial strains in detail. According to their findings, Colwellia Strain M166 synthesizes smaller components of vitamin B12 and releases them into the surrounding water. On their part, the bacteria Rose Ovarius Strain M141 not only produces the larger component that is the main component, but it is also able to synthesize B12, which both bacterial strains require from a combination of the two components.

Viral infection causes some cells to rupture

but Rose Ovarius The strain does not release vitamins by itself, but only once Colwellia It activates the virus encoded in the bacterial genome of the co-producer, and the virus multiplies. The resulting viral infection results in some casualties. Rose Ovarius Bacteria burst and vitamin B12 It will be released at the same time as the virus, so it will be available to the following users: Colwellia (and probably other marine life too). Researchers at the Oldenburg Institute of Marine Environmental Chemistry and Biology (ICBM) and Scripps say, “This finely tuned cross-supply of metabolic components and products is important not only for marine microbial communities but also for other ecosystems. It may also be related.”Marine Research Institute Report Nature.

“We were able to demonstrate for the first time that two bacteria synthesize B12 only in cooperation with each other. Such a complex form of interaction between bacteria was previously unknown. ” said Wienhausen.

reference: Wienhausen G, Morrall C, Bruns S Cross-feeding with other ligands eliminates bacterial vitamin B12 auxotrophy. Nature. 2024.doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-07396-y

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