NASA uncovers complex teamwork in magnetic bacteria

NASA uncovers complex teamwork in magnetic bacteria
by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Apr 03, 2025

In a breakthrough study, researchers backed by NASA have explored the remarkable cooperative behavior of a rare form of bacteria that function as if they were a unified multicellular entity. These organisms, known as multicellular magnetotactic bacteria (MMB), are the only bacteria currently known to display this specific type of obligate multicellularity, offering a compelling model for how complex life may have evolved on Earth.

Magnetotactic bacteria are already fascinating for their ability to navigate using microscopic magnetic structures within their cells, aligning with Earth's magnetic field like tiny biological compasses. MMB take this a step further by existing not as individual cells, but as tightly connected cell clusters that depend on each other to survive. In contrast to simple bacterial colonies like those of cyanobacteria, where individual cells can live independently, the cells in MMB consortia cannot function in isolation.

This dependence is what scientists call 'obligate' multicellularity. Each MMB consortium reproduces by replicating all its cells in unison, then splitting into two genetically diverse but functionally identical groups. This process ensures that none of the resulting cells are solitary, maintaining the multicellular arrangement across generations.

What sets the new findings apart is the discovery of genetic and metabolic diversity within these consortia. Contrary to prior belief, MMB cells within a single cluster are not clones. Instead, they show subtle genetic variations and perform distinct metabolic tasks. This division of labor closely resembles how cells specialize within multicellular organisms-such as how nerve cells, fat cells, and blood cells each serve specific roles in the human body.

The emergence of obligate multicellularity marked a turning point in Earth's evolutionary timeline, enabling life to develop more sophisticated survival strategies and more intricate ecosystems. The study of MMB offers scientists a rare glimpse into how this transition might have occurred, by examining bacteria that bridge the gap between single-celled simplicity and multicellular complexity.

Research Report:"Multicellular magnetotactic bacteria are genetically heterogeneous consortia with metabolically differentiated cells,"