Although they don’t have neurons, synapses, or a nervous system, bacteria are capable of forming a type of memory, according to a new study. What’s more, they can pass on these memories to their offspring for at least four generations.
Bacteria
“Bacteria don’t have brains, but they can collect information about their environment, and if they have frequently encountered that environment, they can store that information and quickly access it later if it is beneficial to them,” said Souvik Bhattacharyya, lead author of the study.
How do bacteria create memory?
Souvik Bhattacharyya and his colleagues studied Escherichia coli and found that this type of bacteria uses iron to memorize certain behaviors, which can be activated in response to the same stimuli.
Bacteria have different levels of iron in their bodies, a compound that is very important for their cellular metabolism.
According to scientists, these memories formed due to iron persisted through four generations of bacteria and were naturally lost in the fifth. However, the researchers found that by artificially increasing iron levels in the bacteria, their memories could persist much longer.
Studying bacterial memories to fight antibiotic resistance
This discovery has implications for the treatment and prevention of bacterial infections. It could also help in the fight against antibiotic resistance.
Bacterial infections are the second leading cause of death worldwide after heart disease. Just five bacteria are responsible for more than half of all bacteria-related deaths: staphylococcus aureus, E. coli, pneumococcus, klebsiella pneumoniae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Antibiotic resistance is the phenomenon whereby bacteria become resistant to antibiotics. Bacteria exposed to antibiotics evolve and develop defense mechanisms that allow them to escape their action. This phenomenon affects both bacteria that cause infections (pathogenic bacteria) and generally harmless bacteria that are naturally present in our bodies.
Read Also: Scientists Discover Key Protein for Powerful Immune Response Against Bacterial Infection
References
Bhattacharyya, S., Bhattarai, N., Pfannenstiel, D. M., & Harshey, R. M. (2023). A heritable iron memory enables decision-making in Escherichia coli. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 120(48), e2309082120. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2309082120
Robards-Forbes, E. (2023, November 21). Bacteria Store Memories and Pass Them on for Generations. UT News. https://news.utexas.edu/2023/11/21/bacteria-store-memories-and-pass-them-on-for-generations/
