Kin discrimination promotes horizontal gene transfer between unrelated strains in Bacillus subtilis

Polonca Stefanic (), Katarina Belcijan, Barbara Kraigher, Rok Kostanjšek, Joseph Nesme, Jonas Stenløkke Madsen, Jasna Kovac, Søren Johannes Sørensen, Michiel Vos and Ines Mandic-Mulec ()
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Polonca Stefanic: University of Ljubljana
Katarina Belcijan: University of Ljubljana
Barbara Kraigher: University of Ljubljana
Rok Kostanjšek: University of Ljubljana
Joseph Nesme: University of Copenhagen
Jonas Stenløkke Madsen: University of Copenhagen
Jasna Kovac: The Pennsylvania State University
Søren Johannes Sørensen: University of Copenhagen
Michiel Vos: University of Exeter Medical School, Environment and Sustainability Institute
Ines Mandic-Mulec: University of Ljubljana

Nature Communications, 2021, vol. 12, issue 1, 1-11

Abstract: Abstract Bacillus subtilis is a soil bacterium that is competent for natural transformation. Genetically distinct B. subtilis swarms form a boundary upon encounter, resulting in killing of one of the strains. This process is mediated by a fast-evolving kin discrimination (KD) system consisting of cellular attack and defence mechanisms. Here, we show that these swarm antagonisms promote transformation-mediated horizontal gene transfer between strains of low relatedness. Gene transfer between interacting non-kin strains is largely unidirectional, from killed cells of the donor strain to surviving cells of the recipient strain. It is associated with activation of a stress response mediated by sigma factor SigW in the donor cells, and induction of competence in the recipient strain. More closely related strains, which in theory would experience more efficient recombination due to increased sequence homology, do not upregulate transformation upon encounter. This result indicates that social interactions can override mechanistic barriers to horizontal gene transfer. We hypothesize that KD-mediated competence in response to the encounter of distinct neighbouring strains could maximize the probability of efficient incorporation of novel alleles and genes that have proved to function in a genomically and ecologically similar context.

Date: 2021
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23685-w

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