title: Nutritional stress induces exchange of cell material and energetic coupling between bacterial species.
abstract: Knowledge of the behaviour of bacterial communities is crucial for understanding biogeochemical cycles and developing environmental biotechnology. Here we demonstrate the formation of an artificial consortium between two anaerobic bacteria, Clostridium acetobutylicum (Gram-positive) and Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough (Gram-negative, sulfate-reducing) in which physical interactions between the two partners induce emergent properties. Molecular and cellular approaches show that tight cell-cell interactions are associated with an exchange of molecules, including proteins, which allows the growth of one partner (D. vulgaris) in spite of the shortage of nutrients. This physical interaction induces changes in expression of two genes encoding enzymes at the pyruvate crossroads, with concomitant changes in the distribution of metabolic fluxes, and allows a substantial increase in hydrogen production without requiring genetic engineering. The stress induced by the shortage of nutrients of D. vulgaris appears to trigger the interaction.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Bioénergétique et Ingénierie des Protéines, Institut de Microbiologie de la Méditerranée, CNRS-Aix-Marseille Université, 31 Chemin Joseph Aiguier, 13009 Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Saida
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Benomar
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Bioénergétique et Ingénierie des Protéines, Institut de Microbiologie de la Méditerranée, CNRS-Aix-Marseille Université, 31 Chemin Joseph Aiguier, 13009 Marseille, France.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ranava
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Bioénergétique et Ingénierie des Protéines, Institut de Microbiologie de la Méditerranée, CNRS-Aix-Marseille Université, 31 Chemin Joseph Aiguier, 13009 Marseille, France.
authors.forename: María Luz
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Cárdenas
authors.affiliation: INRA, UR050, Laboratoire de Biotechnologie de l'Environnement, Avenue des Etangs, F-11100 Narbonne, France.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Trably
authors.affiliation: INRA, UR050, Laboratoire de Biotechnologie de l'Environnement, Avenue des Etangs, F-11100 Narbonne, France.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Rafrafi
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Chimie Bactérienne, Institut de Microbiologie de la Méditerranée, CNRS-Aix-Marseille Université, 13009 Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Adrien
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ducret
authors.affiliation: INRA, UR050, Laboratoire de Biotechnologie de l'Environnement, Avenue des Etangs, F-11100 Narbonne, France.
authors.forename: Jérôme
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hamelin
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Bioénergétique et Ingénierie des Protéines, Institut de Microbiologie de la Méditerranée, CNRS-Aix-Marseille Université, 31 Chemin Joseph Aiguier, 13009 Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lojou
authors.affiliation: INRA, UR050, Laboratoire de Biotechnologie de l'Environnement, Avenue des Etangs, F-11100 Narbonne, France.
authors.forename: Jean-Philippe
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Steyer
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Bioénergétique et Ingénierie des Protéines, Institut de Microbiologie de la Méditerranée, CNRS-Aix-Marseille Université, 31 Chemin Joseph Aiguier, 13009 Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Marie-Thérèse
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Giudici-Orticoni
mesh_terms: D046969:Clostridium acetobutylicum / Q000502:physiology*; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D016969:Desulfovibrio vulgaris / Q000502:physiology*; D006859:Hydrogen / Q000378:metabolism; D056265:Microbial Interactions; D013312:Stress, Physiological
chemical_list: D006859:Hydrogen