Phenotypic Diversity as a Mechanism to Exit Cellular Dormancy
Alexander Sturm1, Jonathan Dworkin1
1Department of Microbiology & Immunology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA.
Current Biology : CB
|August 18, 2015
Summary
Dormant Bacillus subtilis spores can spontaneously reinitiate growth, acting as scouts. This bet-hedging strategy allows populations to adapt to changing environments despite impaired individual cell sensing.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Bacterial Dormancy
- Bet-hedging Strategies
Background:
- Microorganisms enter dormancy to survive stress, but this impairs environmental sensing.
- Accurately monitoring conditions is crucial for dormant cells to decide when to resume growth.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the "scout model" of bet-hedging in dormant Bacillus subtilis spores.
- To provide experimental evidence for stochastic growth reinitiation in dormant microbial populations.
Main Methods:
- Observation of spontaneous growth reinitiation in Bacillus subtilis spores.
- Analysis of phenotypic variation in spore germination propensity.
Main Results:
- Dormant Bacillus subtilis spores exhibit a measurable frequency of spontaneous growth reinitiation, independent of external cues.
- This spontaneous growth is attributed to inherent phenotypic diversity within the spore population.
Conclusions:
- The "scout model" is experimentally validated in Bacillus subtilis, demonstrating a bet-hedging mechanism for dormant cells.
- Phenotypic variation allows dormant populations to respond to environmental changes despite impaired individual cell sensory capabilities.
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