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H-NS gives invading DNA the silent treatment

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Though uptake of beneficial foreign DNA confers fitness advantages to bacteria, the mechanisms protecting bacteria from harmful foreign DNA have been unclear. A new study suggests that the H-NS protein transcriptionally silences invading DNA by recognizing its low G-C content, thereby protecting cell viability during bacterial evolution.

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Figure 1: A model for the regulation of foreign DNA in bacteria.

Katie Ris

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry at Wayne State University, 5101 Cass Avenue, Detroit, 48202, Michigan, USA

    Mary Kay H Pflum

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  1. Mary Kay H Pflum
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Pflum, M. H-NS gives invading DNA the silent treatment. Nat Chem Biol 2, 400–401 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/nchembio0806-400

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