Cell population heterogeneity during growth of Bacillus subtilis.

We have discovered that cells of Bacillus subtilis at the mid-exponential phase of growth are a mixed population of two strikingly different cell types. One type is single swimming cells (or cell doublets) in which the transcription factor for motility, sigma(D), is active (sigma(D) ON). The other type is long chains of sessile cells in which sigma(D) is inactive (sigma(D) OFF). The population is strongly biased toward sigma(D)-ON cells by the action of a novel regulatory protein called SwrA. SwrA stimulates the transcription of a large operon (the flagellum/chemotaxis operon), which includes the genes for sigma(D) and an activator of sigma(D)-directed gene expression, SwrB. Cell population heterogeneity could enable B. subtilis to exploit its present location through the production of sessile cells as well as to explore new environmental niches through the generation of nomadic cells.

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