Phenotypic plasticity of Escherichia coli at initial stage of symbiosis with Dictyostelium discoideum.

We observed the change in the physiological state of Escherichia coli cells at the initial stage for establishing a new symbiotic relationship with Dictyostelium discoideum cells. For the physiological state, we monitored green fluorescence intensity due to a green fluorescent protein (GFP) gene integrated into the chromosome by flow cytometry (FCM). On co-cultivation of the two species, a new population of E.

Global change in Escherichia coli gene expression in initial stage of symbiosis with Dictyostelium cells.

Genome-wide gene expression profiling was performed to investigate the early formation of symbiosis using an artificial symbiosis of Escherichia coli and Dictyostelium discoideum. We have previously reported that when these two species were allowed to grow on minimal agar plates, they achieved a stable state of coexistence, in which the emerging E. coli colonies housing Dictyostelium cells were of a mucoidal nature that was not observed originally.

An observation of the initial stage towards a symbiotic relationship.

Two well-characterized and phylogeneticaly different species, Escherichia coli and Dictyostelium discoideum, were used as the model organisms. When the two species were mixed and allowed to grow on minimal agar plates at 22 degrees C, remarkably, the two species achieved a state of coexistence at an average of 2-4 weeks. In addition, the emerged colonies housing the coexisting species had a mucoidal nature that was not observed from its origin.