title: Flow cytometry reveals that multivalent chemoattractants effect swarmer cell dedifferentiation.
abstract: Bacterial cells can differentiate into states that allow them to respond efficiently to their environment. An example of such a transformation is the differentiation of planktonic bacteria into highly motile swarmer cells. The hyperflagellated, filamentous swarmer cells can use coordinated movement to seek out and colonize new sites for pathogenic infection. Because the chemotaxis proteins are essential for swarmer differentiation, we sought to probe the relationship between differentiation and chemoattractants. To this end, we developed a method to screen large populations of swarmer cells using flow cytometry. Using this approach, we found that highly potent multivalent chemoattractants can induce the dedifferentiation of swarmer cells. Our results indicate that chemotactic signaling functions as a target for agents that interfere with bacterial swarming. In addition, the identification of ligands that promote the dedifferentiation of swarmer cells offers new strategies for modulating this multicellular behavior.
authors.forename: Allison C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Lamanna
authors.forename: Laura L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Kiessling
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D018407:Bacterial Physiological Phenomena; D005434:Flow Cytometry / Q000379:methods*; D008024:Ligands; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D008024:Ligands; D011134:Polysaccharides
references.citation: Cytometry. 1989 Jan;10(1):70-6
references.pmid: 2465113
references.citation: Nature. 2002 Jan 3;415(6867):81-4
references.pmid: 11780121
references.citation: J Bacteriol. 2002 Sep;184(18):4981-7
references.pmid: 12193613
references.citation: Int J Food Microbiol. 2007 Nov 1;119(3):200-6
references.pmid: 17719669
references.citation: Trends Biochem Sci. 2001 Apr;26(4):257-65
references.pmid: 11295559
references.citation: J Clin Invest. 2003 Nov;112(9):1288-90
references.pmid: 14597752
references.citation: J Bacteriol. 1983 Dec;156(3):1268-74
references.pmid: 6358194
references.citation: Trends Microbiol. 2008 Oct;16(10):496-506
references.pmid: 18775660
references.citation: ACS Chem Biol. 2008 Feb 15;3(2):101-9
references.pmid: 18278851
references.citation: Microbiology (Reading). 1997 Sep;143(Pt 9):2945-2951
references.pmid: 12094812
references.citation: J Bacteriol. 2006 Jun;188(12):4442-52
references.pmid: 16740951
references.citation: J Med Microbiol. 2008 Aug;57(Pt 8):931-937
references.pmid: 18628491
references.citation: Res Microbiol. 2007 Apr;158(3):295-302
references.pmid: 17320355
references.citation: Org Lett. 2002 Jul 11;4(14):2293-6
references.pmid: 12098230
references.citation: J Bacteriol. 2002 Feb;184(4):873-83
references.pmid: 11807045
references.citation: Chem Biol. 2000 Aug;7(8):583-91
references.pmid: 11048949
references.citation: Dev Cell. 2003 Jan;4(1):19-28
references.pmid: 12530960
references.citation: J Bacteriol. 2000 Feb;182(3):833-6
references.pmid: 10633123
references.citation: J Bacteriol. 2003 May;185(10):3111-7
references.pmid: 12730171
references.citation: J Bacteriol. 1995 Dec;177(23):6791-7
references.pmid: 7592469
references.citation: Nature. 2003 Nov 20;426(6964):306-10
references.pmid: 14628055
references.citation: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2002 Oct 1;99(20):13160-5
references.pmid: 12237413
references.citation: Mol Microbiol. 2005 Aug;57(3):774-85
references.pmid: 16045621
references.citation: J Bacteriol. 1991 Oct;173(19):6279-88
references.pmid: 1917860
references.citation: J Pathol Bacteriol. 1947 Oct;59(4):688-91
references.pmid: 18907580
references.citation: FEMS Microbiol Rev. 2004 Jun;28(3):261-89
references.pmid: 15449604
references.citation: J Bacteriol. 2000 Nov;182(22):6308-21
references.pmid: 11053374
references.citation: J Bacteriol. 2000 Nov;182(22):6499-502
references.pmid: 11053396
references.citation: Appl Environ Microbiol. 1997 Nov;63(11):4223-31
references.pmid: 9361408
references.citation: J Bacteriol. 2000 Aug;182(15):4337-42
references.pmid: 10894745
references.citation: J Bacteriol. 2003 Aug;185(15):4508-18
references.pmid: 12867460
references.citation: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1994 Aug 30;91(18):8631-5
references.pmid: 8078935
references.citation: Mol Microbiol. 2006 Jun;60(6):1590-602
references.pmid: 16796690
references.citation: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1998 Mar 3;95(5):2568-73
references.pmid: 9482927
references.citation: J Bacteriol. 2005 Oct;187(19):6789-803
references.pmid: 16166542