Bacterial development Flashcards
Bacterial development
- alternative states
Spatial
= different parts of cell form different structures with different functions
Temporal
= alternative states as part of life cycle
Spatiotemporal
= combined
Similarities and differences between stalk and swarmer cells
Same: Genome
Different: changes in gene expression
Quorum sensing
- what is it?
Molecular system to monitor population density
Quorum sensing
- how does it generally work?
Bacteria secrete autoinducer molecules
- low conc = doesn’t do much different
- high conc = changes gene expression
Autoinducers
Peptide or small molecule
2 proteins in the quorum-sensing system
LuxI
- synthesises autoinducers
LuxR
- transcriptional activator
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
- low vs high density
Low = harmless type
- inactive intracellular protein receptors
High = progressive type
- active receptors
- produces virulence factors
S.aureus
- low vs high density
Low
= adhesion phase
High
= invasion phase
Steptomyces
- life cycle
- Spore germinates
- Vegetative mycelium
- Aerial hyphae
- Spore chains
Development
- Diauxic shift
Bacteria grow on glucose until glucose exhausted
- > changes in gene expression
- > induces beta-galactosidase
- > bacteria grow on lactose
Endospore formation
- when does it occur?
- what are they?
In response to stress conditions
- desiccation, starvation + cell density
= metabolically dormant cells
- resistant to heat, desiccation, toxins + radiation
Endospore formation
- what do they enable?
- when do they germinate?
Survival in adverse conditions + dispersal
When conditions are favourable
Control of entry into sporulation
Spo0A-P produced at 2 cons
Low = Vegetative growth continues + also produces toxins + proteases etc
Doing everything it can to survive
High = starts to sporulate
Sporulation
- genetics
~800 genes involved
Controlled by sigma factors
- controls whether genes are expressed within spore or mother cell
Sporulation cycle
- Germination
- Vegetative state
- Starvation state
- Asymmetric cell division
- 1 copy of genome in spore and 1 in mother cell
- maturation state
- mother cell lyses
- mature spore germinates