Bacterial cell differentiation controlled by prophages

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K22411
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 44:Biology at cellular to organismal levels, and related fields
• Research Institution: University of Tsukuba
• Principal Investigator: Toyofuku Masanori 筑波大学, 生命環境系, 准教授 (30644827)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-06-28 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: プロファージ / 細菌 / 形態分化 / 細胞壁

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We have found that in bacteria that harbor prophage in their genome, cell that lose their cell walls appear in about 1% of the entire population. Bacteria that have lost their cell walls may exhibit properties that are different from those of normal bacteria. Therefore, we aimed to characterize the basic properties of bacteria that have lost their cell walls.Although bacteria that have lost their cell walls occur infrequently, in this study, we optimized the culture conditions and established a culture system in which nearly 90% of all cells survive without cell walls. We also found that such cells appeared in both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. The analysis also suggested that the bacteria are in a kind dormant sate.

Free Research Field

微生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

細胞壁を失った細胞は通常の細胞とその性質が大きく異なることが予測されるが、そのような細胞が自然界に存在し、何らかの役割を果たしているとはこれまでにほとんど考えられてこなかった。本成果によって細胞壁を失った細胞がグラム陰性菌および陽性菌のモデル細菌で出現することが明らかとなり、多くの細菌が環境に応じて一種の形態分化を行うことが示唆された点で学術的な意義がある。さらに、細菌を失った細菌はある種の抗生物質への耐性も示しており、微生物制御新たな観点もたらす。