Reversible oxygen-sensing ‘switching’ mechanism discovered
Monday, September 10, 2012 - 15:00
in Biology & Nature
Bacteria that cause disease in humans have a ‘reversible switching mechanism’ that allows them to adapt to environments lacking oxygen, scientists have found. The findings provide a new insight into how bacteria sense and adapt to oxygenated atmospheres, and uncover a new ‘antioxidant’ pathway by which certain types of damaged proteins can be repaired.