Colony pattern multistability emerges from a bistable switch.

ABSTRACT: Microbial colony development hinges upon a myriad of factors, including mechanical, biochemical, and environmental niches, which collectively shape spatial patterns governed by intricate gene regulatory networks. The inherent complexity of this phenomenon necessitates innovative approaches to comprehend and compare the mechanisms driving pattern formation. Here, we unveil the multistability of bacterial colony patterns, where bacterial colony patterns can stabilize into multiple distinct types including ring-like patterns and sector-like patterns on hard agar, orchestrated by a simple synthetic bistable switch. Utilizing quantitative imaging and spatially resolved transcriptome approaches, we explore the deterministic process of a ring-like colony pattern formation from a single cell. This

SUBMITTER: Chu P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12002352 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature