DNA methylation in bacteria, primarily involving the addition of methyl groups to adenine or cytosine residues, constitutes a pivotal epigenetic mechanism that modulates gene expression without ...

Bacteriophages, the most abundant life form on Earth, infect bacterial cells and influence the structure of the microbial community. To fend off phage attacks, bacteria have evolved their own defense ...

Human bodies are teeming with trillions of microbial cells that comprise the microbiome, many of them bacteria. Although they may be small, some of these bacteria maintain health, but others promote ...

DNA can also be demethylated, either through passive or active processes. Passive DNA demethylation occurs when the methylation pattern is not replenished during DNA replication and gradually ...

Bacteria possess unique traits with great potential for benefiting society. However, current genetic engineering methods to harness these advantages are limited to a small fraction of bacterial ...

The method, known as EVOFLUx, uses natural fluctuations in DNA methylation as a kind of molecular “barcode” to reconstruct a ...

Everyday factors such as diet, stress, medications, and aging can influence these microbial interactions. For example, gut bacteria produce short-chain fatty acids, nutrients, and other chemical ...

Researchers at the University of Exeter have created a detailed temporal map of chemical changes to DNA through development ...