title: Metabolic cross-feeding via intercellular nanotubes among bacteria.
abstract: Bacteria frequently exchange metabolites by diffusion through the extracellular environment, yet it remains generally unclear whether bacteria can also use cell-cell connections to directly exchange nutrients. Here we address this question by engineering cross-feeding interactions within and between Acinetobacter baylyi and Escherichia coli, in which two distant bacterial species reciprocally exchange essential amino acids. We establish that in a well-mixed environment E. coli, but likely not A. baylyi, can connect to other bacterial cells via membrane-derived nanotubes and use these to exchange cytoplasmic constituents. Intercellular connections are induced by auxotrophy-causing mutations and cease to establish when amino acids are externally supplied. Electron and fluorescence microscopy reveal a network of nanotubular structures that connects bacterial cells and enables an intercellular transfer of cytoplasmic materials. Together, our results demonstrate that bacteria can use nanotubes to exchange nutrients among connected cells and thus help to distribute metabolic functions within microbial communities.
authors.affiliation: Experimental Ecology and Evolution Research Group, Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Beutenberg Campus, Hans-Knöll Strasse 8, 07745 Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Samay
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pande
authors.affiliation: Experimental Ecology and Evolution Research Group, Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Beutenberg Campus, Hans-Knöll Strasse 8, 07745 Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Shraddha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shitut
authors.affiliation: Experimental Ecology and Evolution Research Group, Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Beutenberg Campus, Hans-Knöll Strasse 8, 07745 Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Freund
authors.affiliation: Centre for Electron Microscopy, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University of Jena, Ziegelmühlenweg 1, 07743 Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Westermann
authors.affiliation: Experimental Ecology and Evolution Research Group, Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Beutenberg Campus, Hans-Knöll Strasse 8, 07745 Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Felix
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bertels
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Ecology and Systematics, University of Kaiserslautern, Erwin Schrödingerstrasse, Geb. 13/270, 67653 Kaiserslautern, Germany.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Colesie
authors.affiliation: 1] Bacterial Signalling Networks Research Group, Zentrum für Molekulare Biologie der Universität Heidelberg (ZMBH), Im Neuenheimer Feld 282, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany [2] Bacterial Signalling Networks Research Group, Center for Quantitative Analysis of Molecular and Cellular Biosystems (BioQuant), University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 267, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Ilka B
authors.initials: IB
authors.lastname: Bischofs
authors.affiliation: Experimental Ecology and Evolution Research Group, Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Beutenberg Campus, Hans-Knöll Strasse 8, 07745 Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kost
mesh_terms: D000150:Acinetobacter / Q000502:physiology*; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000502:physiology*; D005818:Genetic Engineering; D007365:Intercellular Junctions / Q000502:physiology*; D043942:Nanotubes
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids