New evolutionary mechanism for bacterial populations discovered

Mutations and horizontal transfer of genes represent evolutionary mechanisms which have been studied extensively over decades. Until now, the role of horizontally changing gene regulatory elements at the level of population evolution has been unknown. In a study published in PNAS, professor Jukka Corander joined forces with scientists at MIT and Tel Aviv University showed that horizontal rewiring of gene regulatory elements is a ubiquitous mechanisms across different species of bacteria and holds considerable potential for their adaptation to changing environmental conditions. This study opens up a completely new direction for further research towards understanding mechanisms of adaptation among important human pathogens. For details, see the full article: Transfer of non-coding DNA drives regulatory rewiring in bacteria. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences: http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2014/10/08/1413272111.full.pdf+html