A new form of E-coli

[rov1100]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-13626499

We are led to believe that new forms are created by gradual mutation, a change in a letter here or the destruction of part of the genetic code.

But this new version has had extra genes inserted that can cause enormous troubles for those infected.

So how did it achieve these extra genes?

[BigRooster]

We would like to think we are masters off nature. But nature once again will show it can fight back and let us know who the real boss is.
And from what I've been told a complex organisms like us can take millions of years to mutate but organisms like e-coli just years.

[LazyGun]

Ermm - could it possibly be, just possibly, mind, the process known as... evolution? That process that bearded fella talked about - Darwin? Why, yes it can.
I have no idea where you have gained the impression that evolution imposes any sort of cap on the numbers of genes that are "allowed" to mutate - but your impression is wrong.
Then you have the fact that each "generation" lasts maybe a few hours - a day perhaps? And you can have thmdreds of generations every few weeks/months, with each generation having the potential to offer all sorts of novel genetic variations. You also start from a position of having many serotypes ( 700 or more?) of E.Coli, All of which can combine with each other, given proximity and time.

All of which means we as a species have been very lucky in avoiding some truly nasty pandemic virus or bacterium over the years.

[beso]

The version of sex done in microorganism is far more intimate than in animals. They pass genetic material to each other by fusing together and sharing their insides before going their separate ways. Moreover they can do this without even being from the same species. Just ingesting some other organism as food can be a way to acquire new genes.

A significant part of our own genome came from viruses that infected our ancestors and combined their genes with our genes. Indeed it is now realised that this process is a major factor in the acquisition of new genes in multicellular organisms.

[atalanta]

It is possible for one animal or person to be infected with 2 different organisms.
It would be quite on the cards for the 2 organisms to swap, add or subtract parts of themselves.
scientists are worried about somebody catching bird flu from birds ( you can only in rare and special circumstances get bird flu from humans - so far) and the same person catching ordinary flu. If those two were to combine, you'd possibly get a rampant superflu which could pass from human to human.

[rov1100]

The fusion of genes is a reality suggested by Beso, Maybe thats why if we study our own DNA we have genes that are present in all sorts of things including mice, etc. The difference I suppose is those genes are not switched on so they remain dormant. Come to think of it this would make a good sci-thriller!

[beso]

We have a lot of genes in common with other animals because we share the same biochemistry and basic morphology. We have something like one sixth in common with earth worms.

All multicellular organisms diverged less than 600 million years ago. Mice and human lineages only diverged 75 million years ago. That is not much in the four billion year history of life.

[Old_Geezer]

Random mutation. There are a lot of bacteria out there, 'all' of which are reproducing and sometimes putting errors into the code they pass on. With so many it isn't long before a useful (to the bacteria) mutation occurs. The speed of reproduction makes a 'gradual' process seem fairly rapid on our timescales. After all how many millions of years has e-coli been around before this latest mod ?

[Old_Geezer]

All living organisms will have common ancestors, far enough back in time.

[jomifl]

bacteria of similar species can exchange genetic code. It's not quite sex but perhaps they enjoy it in their own way.

[Sqad]

LOL....I would settle for that at the moment.

[beso]

The latest research indicates the genes were shared between two different strains of E coli by a virus that infects bacteria.

It appears to have been developing in human hosts in Germany for about a decade. Laboratories are going through their samples looking for related strains.

The contamination is almost certainly from human fecal matter rather than cattle as first assumed.