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Updated: Aug 11, 2026

Induction of Cellular Differentiation and Single Cell Imaging of Vibrio parahaemolyticus Swimmer and Swarmer Cells
Published on: May 15, 2017
X-gal inhibits the swarming of Vibrio species
Moon-Young Kim1, Ra-Young Park, Young-Hoon Bai
1Research Center for Resistant Cells, Chosun University Medical School, 375 Seosuk-Dong, Dong-Gu, Gwangju 501-759, Republic of Korea.
Abstract:
The expressional levels of genes in swarmer cells can be determined by a simple method using X-gal-containing semisolid agars and lacZ-fusion transcription reporter strains of the genes concerned. However, X-gal alone inhibited the swarming of Vibrio, regardless of their ability to digest X-gal. Moreover, X-gal inhibited the growth of V. vulnificus containing functional lacZ. These effects of X-gal itself should be carefully considered when trying to determine the expression levels of genes in swarming cells using X-gal-containing semisolid agar.
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