Tunable phenotypic variability through an autoregulatory alternative sigma factor circuit.

ABSTRACT: Genetically identical individuals in bacterial populations can display significant phenotypic variability. This variability can be functional, for example by allowing a fraction of stress prepared cells to survive an otherwise lethal stress. The optimal fraction of stress prepared cells depends on environmental conditions. However, how bacterial populations modulate their level of phenotypic variability remains unclear. Here we show that the alternative sigma factor σ^V circuit in Bacillus subtilis generates functional phenotypic variability that can be tuned by stress level, environmental history and genetic perturbations. Using single-cell time-lapse microscopy and microfluidics, we find the fraction of cells that immediately activate σ^V under lysozyme stress depends

SUBMITTER: Schwall CP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8287880 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature