2010/07/29 by Marion S. Dorer, Jutta Fero, Nina R. Salama · 1 citation
Medicine · Veterinary · #Biology #DNA #DNA damage #Exogenous DNA #Gene #Genetics #Helicobacter pylori #Helicobacter pylori-related gastroenterology studies #Mycobacterium research and diagnosis #Pathogen #Transcription (linguistics) #Veterinary medicine and infectious diseases
paper · pdf · doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.1001026
openalex publication_date 2010/07/29 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/06
Many organisms respond to DNA damage by inducing expression of DNA repair genes. We find that the human stomach pathogen Helicobacter pylori instead induces transcription and translation of natural competence genes, thus increasing transformation frequency. Transcription of a lysozyme-like protein that promotes DNA donation from intact cells is also induced. Exogenous DNA modulates the DNA damage response, as both recA and the ability to take up DNA are required for full induction of the response. This feedback loop is active during stomach colonization, indicating a role in the pathogenesis of the bacterium. As patients can be infected with multiple genetically distinct clones of H. pylori, DNA damage induced genetic exchange may facilitate spread of antibiotic resistance and selection of fitter variants through re-assortment of preexisting alleles in this important human pathogen.