title: A functional perspective on phenotypic heterogeneity in microorganisms.
abstract: Most microbial communities consist of a genetically diverse assembly of different organisms, and the level of genetic diversity plays an important part in community properties and functions. However, biological diversity also arises at a lower level of biological organization, between genetically identical cells that reside in the same microenvironment. In this Review, I outline the molecular mechanisms responsible for phenotypic heterogeneity and discuss how phenotypic heterogeneity allows genotypes to persist in fluctuating environments. I also describe how it promotes interactions between phenotypic subpopulations in clonal groups, providing microbial groups with new functionality.
authors.affiliation: 1] Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH Zürich), ETH Zentrum CHN H70.3, Universitätsstrasse 16, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland. [2] Department of Environmental Microbiology, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag), Ueberlandstrasse 133, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ackermann
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004777:Environment; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D018740:Genetic Heterogeneity; D005838:Genotype; D010641:Phenotype; D013269:Stochastic Processes