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Sex in microbial pathogens.

Harris Bernstein1, Carol Bernstein1, Richard E Michod2

  • 1Cellular and Molecular Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA.

Infection, Genetics and Evolution : Journal of Molecular Epidemiology and Evolutionary Genetics in Infectious Diseases
|November 8, 2017
PubMed
Summary
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Sexual processes in pathogenic microorganisms, including bacteria, eukaryotes, and viruses, primarily benefit genomic repair. This repair mechanism aids pathogen survival against host defenses by fixing DNA damage.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Genetics
  • Evolutionary Biology

Background:

  • Pathogenic microorganisms (bacteria, microbial eukaryotes, viruses) face host defenses that damage their genomes.
  • Sexual processes are increasingly recognized as common in these pathogens.
  • Genomic damage poses a significant challenge to pathogen survival and infectivity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review sexual processes in pathogenic microorganisms.
  • To assess the primary adaptive benefit of these sexual processes.
  • To evaluate the role of sex in pathogen survival and virulence.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of sexual processes in pathogenic bacteria, microbial eukaryotes, and viruses.
  • Analysis of evidence linking sexual processes to genomic repair mechanisms.
Keywords:
Bacterial transformationDNA damageInbreedingMeiosisMicrobial pathogenMultiplicity reactivationRecombinationSex

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  • Examination of studies demonstrating the dependence of infectivity and virulence on sex.

    • Main Results:

    • Sexual processes, including bacterial transformation, eukaryotic meiotic sex, and virus multiplicity reactivation, are prevalent in pathogens.
    • Pathogens possess enzyme systems central to sex that are also involved in recombinational repair of genomic damage.
    • Infectivity and virulence are directly dependent on sex in some pathogens.
    • The primary benefit of sex in pathogens is the repair of deleterious or lethal genomic damage.

    Conclusions:

    • The primary adaptive benefit of sex in pathogenic microorganisms is genomic repair, consistent with findings in non-pathogenic species.
    • While sexual interactions in pathogens often involve closely related genomes, infrequent outcrossing can occur, potentially impacting long-term evolution.