Complex interplay between gene deletions and the environment uncovers cellular roles for genes of unknown function in <i>Escherichia coli</i>.

ABSTRACT: Phenotypic outcomes can be heavily affected by environmental factors. In this study, we exploited the previously observed nutrient dependency of cell biological phenotypic features captured by a cross-condition image-based profiling assay of Escherichia coli deletion strains to examine this in more detail. We identified several general principles, including the existence of a spectrum of deviating phenotypes across nutrient conditions (i.e., from nutrient- or feature-specific to pleiotropic phenotypic deviations), limited conservation of phenotypic deviations across nutrient conditions (i.e., limited phenotypic robustness), and a subset of nutrient-independent phenotypic deviations (indicative of consistent genetic determinants of specific phenotypic features). In a subsequent step,

SUBMITTER: Sondervorst K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12282094 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature