Eukaryotic-like proteins found to alter bacteria-sponge interactions, enabling intracellular survival

A study published in ISME Communications demonstrates that the recombinant expression of single genes from various eukaryotic-like protein (ELP) classes can enable free-living cyanobacteria to evade phagocytosis by sponges and survive intracellularly. This finding suggests ELPs are molecular factors controlling sponge-microbe interactions, with implications for the evolution of microbial symbiosis.