Yaxi Wang, Larry A Gallagher, Pia A Andrade, Andi Liu, Ian R Humphreys, Serdar Turkarslan, Kevin J Cutler, Mario L Arrieta-Ortiz, Yaqiao Li, Matthew C Radey, Jeffrey S McLean, Qian Cong, David Baker, Nitin S Baliga, S Brook Peterson, Joseph D Mougous
Patescibacteria, also known as the candidate phyla radiation (CPR), are a diverse group of bacteria that constitute a disproportionately large fraction of microbial dark matter. Its few cultivated members, belonging mostly to Saccharibacteria, grow as epibionts on host Actinobacteria. Due to a lack of suitable tools, the genetic basis of this lifestyle and other unique features of Patescibacteira remain unexplored. Here, we show that Saccharibacteria exhibit natural competence, and we exploit this property for their genetic manipulation...
August 30, 2023: Cell