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A single promoter inversion switches Photorhabdus between pathogenic and mutualistic states.


ABSTRACT: Microbial populations stochastically generate variants with strikingly different properties, such as virulence or avirulence and antibiotic tolerance or sensitivity. Photorhabdus luminescens bacteria have a variable life history in which they alternate between pathogens to a wide variety of insects and mutualists to their specific host nematodes. Here, we show that the P. luminescens pathogenic variant (P form) switches to a smaller-cell variant (M form) to initiate mutualism in host nematode intestines. A stochastic promoter inversion causes the switch between the two distinct forms. M-form cells are much smaller (one-seventh the volume), slower growing, and less bioluminescent than P-form cells; they are also avirulent and produce fewer secondary metabolites. Observations of form switching by individual cells in nematodes revealed that the M form persisted in maternal nematode intestines, were the first cells to colonize infective juvenile (IJ) offspring, and then switched to P form in the IJ intestine, which armed these nematodes for the next cycle of insect infection.

SUBMITTER: Somvanshi VS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4006969 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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A single promoter inversion switches Photorhabdus between pathogenic and mutualistic states.

Somvanshi Vishal S VS   Sloup Rudolph E RE   Crawford Jason M JM   Martin Alexander R AR   Heidt Anthony J AJ   Kim Kwi-suk KS   Clardy Jon J   Ciche Todd A TA  

Science (New York, N.Y.) 20120701 6090


Microbial populations stochastically generate variants with strikingly different properties, such as virulence or avirulence and antibiotic tolerance or sensitivity. Photorhabdus luminescens bacteria have a variable life history in which they alternate between pathogens to a wide variety of insects and mutualists to their specific host nematodes. Here, we show that the P. luminescens pathogenic variant (P form) switches to a smaller-cell variant (M form) to initiate mutualism in host nematode in  ...[more]

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