CellBioNewsAug 7, 2024

#Competition over millions of years preserves #genetic #diversity of three #crustaceans.

#host_parasite #coevolution #arms_race #Red_Queen

https://phys.org/news/2024-08-competition-millions-years-genetic-diversity.html

Competition over millions of years preserves genetic diversity of three crustaceans

Hosts and their parasites are in constant competition. Through genetic diversity, the host can change in such a way that infection is no longer possible. However, the parasite adapts quickly—and the game starts all over again. This is also referred to in evolutionary biology as the "Red Queen model" after the character in the book Alice in Wonderland who keeps running without getting anywhere.

CellBioNewsApr 9, 2024

Scientists discover new #phage #resistance mechanism in phage-#bacterial arms race.

#red_queen #co_evolution

https://phys.org/news/2024-04-scientists-phage-resistance-mechanism-bacterial.html

Scientists discover new phage resistance mechanism in phage-bacterial arms race

One of the most abundant and deadliest organisms on Earth is a virus called a bacteriophage (phage). These predators have lethal precision against their targets—not humans, but bacteria. Different phages have evolved to target different bacteria and play a critical role in microbial ecology. Recently, ADA Forsyth scientists exploring the complex interactions of microbes in the oral microbiome discovered a third player influencing the phage-bacterial arms race—ultrasmall bacterial parasites, called Saccharibacteria or TM7.

Phys.org