title: Single-Cell Analysis of Growth and Cell Division of the Anaerobe Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough.
abstract: Recent years have seen significant progress in understanding basic bacterial cell cycle properties such as cell growth and cell division. While characterization and regulation of bacterial cell cycle is quite well-documented in the case of fast growing aerobic model organisms, no data has been so far reported for anaerobic bacteria. This lack of information in anaerobic microorganisms can mainly be explained by the absence of molecular and cellular tools such as single cell microscopy and fluorescent probes usable for anaerobes and essential to study cellular events and/or subcellular localization of the actors involved in cell cycle. In this study, single-cell microscopy has been adapted to study for the first time, in real time, the cell cycle of a bacterial anaerobe, Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough (DvH). This single-cell analysis provides mechanistic insights into the cell division cycle of DvH, which seems to be governed by the recently discussed so-called incremental model that generates remarkably homogeneous cell sizes. Furthermore, cell division was reversibly blocked during oxygen exposure. This may constitute a strategy for anaerobic cells to cope with transient exposure to oxygen that they may encounter in their natural environment, thereby contributing to their aerotolerance. This study lays the foundation for the first molecular, single-cell assay that will address factors that cannot otherwise be resolved in bulk assays and that will allow visualization of a wide range of molecular mechanisms within living anaerobic cells.
authors.affiliation: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Laboratoire de Chimie Bactérienne UMR 7283, Aix Marseille Université Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Anouchka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fievet
authors.affiliation: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Laboratoire de Chimie Bactérienne UMR 7283, Aix Marseille Université Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Adrien
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ducret
authors.affiliation: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Laboratoire de Chimie Bactérienne UMR 7283, Aix Marseille Université Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Tâm
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mignot
authors.affiliation: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Laboratoire de Chimie Bactérienne UMR 7283, Aix Marseille Université Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Odile
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Valette
authors.affiliation: INRA, UMR1319 Micalis Jouy-en-Josas, France ; AgroParisTech, UMR Micalis Jouy-en-Josas, France.
authors.forename: Lydia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Robert
authors.affiliation: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Laboratoire de Chimie Bactérienne UMR 7283, Aix Marseille Université Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Romain
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pardoux
authors.affiliation: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Laboratoire de Chimie Bactérienne UMR 7283, Aix Marseille Université Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Alain R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Dolla
authors.affiliation: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Laboratoire de Chimie Bactérienne UMR 7283, Aix Marseille Université Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Corinne
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Aubert
keywords: Desulfovibrio; anaerobic bacteria; cell division; oxygen stress adaptation; sulfate-reducing bacteria