A chemical radar allows bacteria to sense and eliminate predators.
Investigating how microorganisms communicate deepens our understanding of the complex ecological interactions that shape our environment is an area of key focus for the Cluster of Excellence “Balance of the Microverse.” A research team from the Cluster, based at the Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology – Hans Knöll Institute (Leibniz-HKI) and Friedrich Schiller University Jena, has examined the interactions between amoebae, bacteria, and plants.
Researchers from the University of Bayreuth also contributed to the study. The findings pave the way for discovering new bioactive natural products.
The persistent plant pathogen and a single-celled organism with team spirit
The bacterium Pseudomonas syringae is a ubiquitous and devastating plant pathogen. The pathogen penetrates the plant via natural openings or injuries, infects it, and causes considerable damage in agriculture. Amoebae are natural enemies of the bacterium. The amoeba Polysphondylium pallidum, for instance, is a single-celled organism that feeds on bacteria.
However, if food becomes scarce, the unicellular organisms aggregate to form multicellular structures that allow for the generation and dispersal of spores. While not directly involved in the infection process of the plant, the amoeba is an important predator that forces the bacterium to evolve highly effective defense mechanisms in order to survive in their presence.
An amoeba kills itself
The research team led by Pierre Stallforth, professor at the University of Jena and head of department at the Leibniz-HKI, has now identified a previously unknown defense mechanism of Pseudomonas syringae.
“We were able to show how the bacterium uses a chemical radar to recognize and eliminate the hostile amoebae. Interestingly, the amoebae themselves play a crucial role in their own demise,” says Shuaibing Zhang, first author of the study.
Pierre Stallforth adds: “Pseudomonas syringae produces syringafactins. These are chemical compounds that are harmless to the amoeba, they enable the bacterium to move faster. When the amoeba encounters this molecule, the organism modifies syringafactin’s chemical structure. The bacterium in turn has a special sensor protein – the Chemical Radar Regulator (CraR) – which recognizes these modified molecules. This enables the bacteria to detect the presence of amoebae, whereupon genes responsible for the production of toxic substances – the pyrofactins – are activated. The pyrofactins in turn kill amoebae and, interestingly, are derivatives of the modified syringafactins.”
Defense mechanism provides opportunities for the development of new drugs
The infectivity of the bacterium is also linked to the chemical radar system: P. syringae can only infect thale cress, Arabidopsis thaliana, a very common plant model organism, in the presence of amoebae if the bacterium has an active “chemical radar” and is, therefore, able to defend itself against the predator.
The study provides valuable insights into the complex interplay between microorganisms, protozoa, and higher plants. It also provides starting points for the discovery of new bioactive natural substances that can be useful to humans as drugs or in pest control.
Reference: “A chemical radar allows bacteria to detect and kill predators” by Shuaibing Zhang, Kevin Schlabach, Victor Hugo Pérez Carrillo, Anan Ibrahim, Shahran Nayem, Anna Komor, Ruchira Mukherji, Somak Chowdhury, Lisa Reimer, Felix Trottmann, A. Corina Vlot, Christian Hertweck, Ute A. Hellmich and Pierre Stallforth, 2 April 2025, Cell.
DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2025.02.033
Numerous fundings made this pioneering study possible under the direction of the Leibniz-HKI, including the Werner Siemens Foundation, the German Research Foundation within the Cluster of Excellence “Balance of the Microverse” and the ChemBioSys Collaborative Research Center. The states of Hessen and Thuringia also supported the project with funding from the European Regional Development Fund (EFRE).
News
Stem cell organoids repair heart microvessels in coronary artery disease models
A Stanford University team has shown that vascular organoids derived from human stem cells can repair the heart’s microvessel network in pigs with ischaemic heart disease – a proof-of-concept advancement that could open new therapeutic [...]
Goodbye GP waiting rooms, hello prevention at home
Prevention is suddenly everywhere in NHS reform. The recent £340m community pharmacy deal is moving more services onto the high street. Community Diagnostic Centres are being expanded, and the Neighbourhood Health Framework sets out [...]
Ebola control is weakened by mistrust and cultural insensitivity
Effective response depends on cooperation with communities and frontline workers, writes Zaeem ul Haq The current Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda is exposing dangerous gaps in [...]
Building the Brain Requires Millions of Dangerous DNA Breaks
Scientists discovered that building a healthy brain involves an unexpected step: young neurons routinely break and rapidly repair their own DNA. As the brain develops, newly formed nerve cells must travel through tightly packed tissue [...]
One Tiny Change May Explain How Viruses Jump From Bats to Humans
Scientists found that one tiny genetic change may determine whether a bat virus stays in bats or becomes a human threat. Most infectious disease outbreaks begin when a virus or other pathogen crosses from animals into [...]
Scientists Discover 250+ Genes That Could Lead to New Ways To Prevent Melanoma
The world’s largest study of mole genetics identified hundreds of genes tied to melanoma risk, uncovering potential new drug targets and paving the way for more accurate melanoma screening and prevention. Researchers at QIMR [...]
Breakthrough Diabetes Treatment Reprograms the Immune System
An engineered stem cell therapy reversed new-onset Type 1 diabetes in mice by shifting the immune system away from attacking insulin-producing cells. For more than a century, people with Type 1 diabetes have relied [...]
Taking the world’s temperature: WHO chief spotlights global health emergencies
Taking the world’s temperature on pressing health matters, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus provided the latest on current global challenges - and successes when it comes to international cooperation. “The outbreaks of hantavirus, Ebola and Marburg all show [...]
Scientists Create Tiny “Mini Livers” That Could One Day Replace Liver Transplants
Engineered tissue grafts could help perform key liver functions and benefit thousands of people living with liver failure. The liver is one of the body’s hardest-working organs, carrying out hundreds of vital jobs, from [...]
NanoMedical Brain/Cloud Interface – Explorations and Implications. A new book from Frank Boehm
New book from Frank Boehm, NanoappsMedical Inc Founder: This book explores the future hypothetical possibility that the cerebral cortex of the human brain might be seamlessly, safely, and securely connected with the Cloud via [...]
Scientists Discover Surprising Way To Help the Brain Recover After Stroke
A new study suggests that strengthening the body’s natural circadian rhythms may help the brain recover after stroke, even when treatment begins days after the injury. Every year, millions of people survive a stroke, [...]
Our books now available worldwide!
Online Sellers other than Amazon, Routledge, and IOPP Indigo Global Health Care Equivalency in the Age of Nanotechnology, Nanomedicine and Artifcial Intelligence Global Health Care Equivalency In The Age Of Nanotechnology, Nanomedicine And Artificial [...]
Younger Generations Are Aging Faster – and It May Be Fueling a Surge in Cancer
Younger generations may be aging biologically faster than those before them, and that shift could help explain rising rates of cancer at younger ages. For decades, cancer was viewed largely as a disease of [...]
Using Cannabis Could Raise Your Stroke Risk by 37%, Massive Study Reveals
Large-scale evidence suggests cannabis, cocaine, and amphetamines may directly raise stroke risk, including in younger adults. As recreational drug use becomes increasingly common, researchers are uncovering evidence that its health consequences may extend far beyond [...]
Could Vitamin C Be the Secret to Keeping Your Brain Younger?
Lower vitamin C levels were linked to reduced brain volume and weaker neural connectivity in older adults, suggesting a potential connection between nutrition and brain health. Could a common vitamin help preserve the brain [...]
This Deadly Disease Was Wiping Out Humans 5,500 Years Ago
A new study suggests plague was already a deadly threat 5,500 years ago, striking small hunter-gatherer communities long before cities and agriculture emerged. For centuries, plague has been remembered as the disease that devastated [...]
