|
|
News
Many cholera bacteria are perfectly benign, but some strains have become deadly pathogens by acquiring packages of genes from elsewhere in their environment. New research on page 1910 reveals an agent that may be responsible for this Jekyll-to-Hyde transformation: a bacteriophage, a virus that infects the cholera bacterium itself. This phage carries the genes that encode the toxin that causes the disease's life-threatening diarrhea. The new discovery raises questions about the development of live cholera vaccines and suggests a transfer mechanism for other bacterial virulence genes.
THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
|
Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)
Magazine | News | Signaling | Careers | Multimedia | Collections | Help | Site Map | RSS
Subscribe | Feedback | Privacy / Legal | About Us | Advertise With Us | Contact Us
© 1996 American Association for the Advancement of Science. All Rights Reserved.
AAAS is a partner of HINARI, AGORA, PatientInform, CrossRef, and COUNTER.
You have reached the bottom of the page. Back to top