Bacteria with different iron content exhibit different survival strategies, such as swarming and biofilm formation, which can cause dangerous infections in humans or lead to antibiotic resistance. These discoveries will help develop new approaches to prevent and treat bacterial infections.

Details of the study

Researchers discovered that E. coli bacteria use iron levels as a way to store information about various behaviors. These strategies can be activated in response to specific stimuli. Scientists sought to find out why bacteria that had experience swarming (moving collectively on the surface with the help of flagella) performed better in subsequent swarms.

in bacteria They lack neurons, synapses, and a nervous system, so their memories are unlike memories of events in humans. The way it remembers information is more like a computer. They can collect information from the environment and store data when they encounter this environment frequently and can later access it quickly for their own benefit.

Researchers found differences in the iron content of free-swimming bacteria:

• Bacteria with low iron levels showed better cohesion abilities, that is, the ability to move collectively on the surface.
• On the other hand, bacteria that formed biofilms (dense and sticky bacterial clusters on solid surfaces) had high levels of iron in their cells.
• Iron levels of antibiotic-tolerant bacteria were balanced.

Iron is one of the most common elements on earth. Before the appearance of oxygen in the atmosphere, early cellular life used iron for many processes. It plays a decisive role not only in the emergence of life on Earth, but also in its evolution.

The researchers suggest that when iron levels in the environment are low, bacteria develop memories that direct them to form migratory swarms and seek iron. With high iron levels, the environment becomes an optimal place for biofilm formation, which can help bacteria survive and multiply.

For this reason, Iron level is an important target in the development of treatment methods.Because it plays a key role in the ability of bacteria to cause and develop disease. Understanding and studying the behavior of bacteria will help develop more effective strategies to combat bacterial infections.