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Bacterial macrofibres: the morphogenesis of complex multicellular bacterial forms.

N H Mendelson1

  • 1Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson 85721.

Science Progress
|January 1, 1990
PubMed
Summary

Bacterial macrofibers exhibit complex helical structures formed by cell shape changes and chain folding. Both genetic and biomechanical factors influence their twist, offering insights into microbial morphogenesis.

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Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Biophysics
  • Developmental Biology

Background:

  • Bacterial macrofibers are complex, multicellular, and helically twisted structures.
  • They serve as a model system for studying procaryotic growth and morphogenesis.
  • Their formation involves individual cell deformation and chain organization.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the fundamental growth processes and morphogenesis of bacterial macrofibers.
  • To understand the factors governing the formation and heritability of macrofiber twist states.

Main Methods:

  • Observing the deformation of individual cell shape from cylindrical to helical.
  • Analyzing the folding and plying of cell chains into multicellular twisted structures.
  • Tracing the dynamics of fiber morphogenesis to hierarchical interactions, starting with cell-wall polymer assembly.

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Main Results:

  • Macrofiber formation initiates from single spores or vegetative cells.
  • Cellular and multicellular twisting arises from genetic and biomechanical factors.
  • Macrofiber twist states span a spectrum from left- to right-handedness.
  • Growth forces influence cell interactions and morphogenesis, dependent on cell wall geometry, viscoelasticity, and anisotropy.

Conclusions:

  • Bacterial macrofiber morphogenesis is a complex process driven by hierarchical interactions.
  • Genetic and biomechanical elements are crucial for determining macrofiber structure and heritability.
  • Understanding cell wall properties under force is key to explaining observed morphogenesis.