Bacteria 'See' the Light(eins have been dubbed the LOV domain b...),Health

Brucella isn't the only bacteria to contain LOV-domain proteins. According to the researchers, more than 100 different bacteria contain these proteins. However, their function in other bacteria is currently unknown.

For example, said Kennis, "E. coli also has a light-sensing protein. We don't know its function yet, but it may tell E. coli whether it's in our gut or outside, in the light."

Bogomolni said that because histidine kinases are only found in bacteria -- not in humans or animals -- turning these enzymes off is a "very tempting drug design target." Theoretically, such a drug would destroy bacteria but leave humans or animals unharmed.

"If we could do something to prevent the expression of the histidine kinase, we might impede the transition to virulence," said Philip Tierno, director of clinical microbiology at New York University Medical Center.

"We may be running out of the ability to use antibiotics, so these other avenues take on a very important position in the fight against disease," Tierno added.

More information

To learn more about Brucella bacteria, go to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

SOURCES: Roberto Bogomolni, Ph.D., professor and chairman, biochemistry, University of California, Santa Cruz; John Kennis, Ph.D., Faculty of Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Philip Tierno, Ph.D., director, clinical microbiology and immunology, New York University Medical Center, and author, The Secret Life of Germs: What They Are, Why We Need Them, And How We Can Prote
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