評(píng)論
打印
In order to add some variety to their genetic makeup, bacteria swap genes with other bacteria.
為豐富基因結(jié)構(gòu)的多樣性，細(xì)菌與細(xì)菌會(huì)進(jìn)行基因交易。
They trade tiny loops of DNA called plasmids. A bacterium makes a plasmid by copying part of its DNA.
它們交換的微小的DNA鏈被稱為質(zhì)粒。 一個(gè)細(xì)菌體通過(guò)復(fù)制自身部分的DNA產(chǎn)生質(zhì)粒。
Then it trades its plasmid for one from another bacterium–in fact, just about any other bacterium!
然后，細(xì)菌會(huì)和其他細(xì)菌交換質(zhì)粒——實(shí)際上，是任意的一個(gè)細(xì)菌！
That’s right–the trading partners don’t need to be the same kind of bacteria, or even related kinds!
沒(méi)錯(cuò)，交易雙方不必為同一類細(xì)菌，甚至不必為相似種類的細(xì)菌！
Just about any two bacteria can swap plasmids.
只要兩個(gè)細(xì)菌能夠交換質(zhì)粒。
That’s great for bacteria, but not always so great for everyone else.
雖然這種交易對(duì)細(xì)菌有益，但對(duì)其他物種則不然。
It can be a big problem if a traded plasmid carries genes for drug resistance.
如果細(xì)菌交易的質(zhì)粒帶有抗藥性基因，那就是一場(chǎng)大災(zāi)難。
If just one type of bacteria–even a harmless type–develops resistance to a drug, it can pass on that resistance to other types of bacteria that aren’t so harmless!
只要一種細(xì)菌——哪怕是無(wú)害的種類——生成了抗藥性，它可以把抗藥性基因傳遞給有害細(xì)菌！
That’s the magic, and the menace, of bacterial “insider trading.”
這就是細(xì)菌“內(nèi)部交易”的神奇和可怕之處。
譯文為可可英語(yǔ)翻譯，未經(jīng)授權(quán)請(qǐng)勿轉(zhuǎn)載!
