Marine Bacteria Team Up to Produce A Vital Vitamin
Published:12 Jul.2024 Source:University of Oldenburg
A German-American research team led by microbiologist Dr Gerrit Wienhausen from the University of Oldenburg (Germany) has come an important step closer to a better understanding of highly complex interactions between marine microorganisms. The researchers conducted various experiments to analyse the interaction between two species of marine bacteria from the North Sea in the synthesis of vitamin B12.
While certain bacterial strains are known as vitamin B12 producers, this research project focused on two strains of the Roseovarius and Colwellia genera that each produce just one of the two building blocks of vitamin B12, meaning that they can only synthesise the substance in cooperation with each other.
According to their findings, bacteria of the Colwellia strain M166 synthesise the smaller building block for vitamin B12 and release it into the surrounding water. However, the Roseovarius strain doesn't release the vitamin on its own, but only once Colwellia activates a virus encoded in the bacterial genome of its co-producer and the virus multiplies. The resulting viral infection causes some of the affected Roseovarius bacteria to burst, and vitamin B12 is released alongside the virus, thus becoming available to Colwellia (and possibly other marine organisms, too).