The private life of environmental bacteria: pollutant biodegradation at the single cell level.

摘要: Summary Bacteria display considerable cell-to-cell heterogeneity in a number of genetic and physiological traits. Stochastic differences regulatory patterns (e.g. at the transcriptional level) propagate into metabolic status otherwise isogenic cells, which ultimately results appearance sub-populations within community. As new technologies emerge because novel single cell strategies are constantly being refined, our knowledge on microbial individuality is burgeoning constant expansion. These approaches encompass not only molecular biology tools fluorescent-protein based reporters) but also suite sophisticated, non-invasive to gain insight state individual cells. Defining role heterogeneities thus instrumental for population-level understanding macroscopic processes both environmental industrial set-ups. The present article reviews state-of-the-art methodologies investigation bacteria level, places application currently available context ecology microbiology. case example, we examine stochastic multi-stable behaviour TOL-encoded pathway Pseudomonas putida mt-2 biodegradation aromatic compounds. Bet-hedging division labour considered as factors pushing forward evolution microorganisms.