Friday 24/November/2023 – 12:33 AM
Researchers at the University of Texas and the University of Delaware have discovered a potential memory system that allows Escherichia coli bacteria to remember experiences, and that a single-celled organism that has no brain or nervous system can form memories and pass those memories on to future generations. To their knowledge, this has not been discovered. type of bacterial memory before, according to Science Alert.
The ability of bacteria to store memories
The ubiquitous E. coli bacterium is one of the most well-studied forms of life on Earth, yet scientists are still discovering unexpected ways it survives and spreads. Clearly, the memory the scientists are discussing in this case is not the same as human memory. Conscious The phenomenon of bacterial memory instead describes how information from past experiences influences current decision-making.
According to experts, bacteria do not have brains, but they can collect information from their environment, and if they encounter that environment repeatedly, they can store that information and access it quickly later for their benefit. He also conducted the experiments, which is a test to see whether E. coli cells on one plate will aggregate Together to form a single migratory mass that moves with the same engine. This behavior generally indicates that cells are joining to efficiently search for a suitable environment.
Molecular mechanism behind the memory system
The team found that intracellular iron was the strongest predictor of whether bacteria moved or remained. Low levels of iron were associated with faster and more efficient swarming, while higher levels led to a more sedentary lifestyle. Moreover, this iron memory was passed down 4 generations. At least a succession of daughter cells, which are formed by the division of a mother cell into two new cells.
The study authors have not yet determined the molecular mechanism behind this potential memory system or its heritability, but the strong association between intracellular iron and swarming behavior between generations suggests that there is a level of ongoing conditioning at play.
While genetics is known to play a role in passing on remembered biological settings across generations of E. coli by regulating the on and off settings of specific genes.
