Analysis on cell filament and phenotypic plasticity of Eschericia coli using microfluid system

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24657014
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Ecology/Environment
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: SHIMADA Masakazu 東京大学, 大学院情報学環, 教授 (40178950)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): WKAMOTO Yuichi 東京大学, 大学院総合文化研究科, 准教授 (30517884) ; YOSHIDA Tkehito 東京大学, 大学院総合文化研究科, 准教授 (40447321) ; OHBAYASHI Kako 東京大学, 大学院総合文化研究科, 特任研究員 (20448202)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 一細胞培養系 / 大腸菌 / 細胞伸長 / 表現型可塑性 / 細胞密度 / recA遺伝子発現 / 環境ストレス

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Using the single cell incubation, we analyzed three potential factors affecting the cell filament formation of Escherichia coli ; (A) the enemy avoidance hypothesis, (B) the cell performance enhanced at a low density, and (C) the environmental stress. We analyzed relationship of cell filament to cell density and recA gene expression in the batch incubation. Results showed that recA gene was highly expressed in some cells (“high recA cell”) and that they were elongated. The higher the cell density became, the higher frequencies of filament cells and high recA cells showed. Increase of cell density results in increasing wastes and insufficient trophic matters, then environmental stress increases, following the cell filament formation and the recA gene expression.

Free Research Field

生物学