Phenotypic memory in Bacillus subtilis links dormancy entry and exit by a spore quantity-quality tradeoff

Alper Mutlu, Stephanie Trauth, Marika Ziesack, Katja Nagler, Jan-Philip Bergeest, Karl Rohr, Nils Becker, Thomas Höfer and Ilka B. Bischofs ()
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Alper Mutlu: BioQuant Center of the University of Heidelberg
Stephanie Trauth: BioQuant Center of the University of Heidelberg
Marika Ziesack: BioQuant Center of the University of Heidelberg
Katja Nagler: BioQuant Center of the University of Heidelberg
Jan-Philip Bergeest: BioQuant Center of the University of Heidelberg
Karl Rohr: BioQuant Center of the University of Heidelberg
Nils Becker: BioQuant Center of the University of Heidelberg
Thomas Höfer: BioQuant Center of the University of Heidelberg
Ilka B. Bischofs: BioQuant Center of the University of Heidelberg

Nature Communications, 2018, vol. 9, issue 1, 1-12

Abstract: Abstract Some bacteria, such as Bacillus subtilis, withstand starvation by forming dormant spores that revive when nutrients become available. Although sporulation and spore revival jointly determine survival in fluctuating environments, the relationship between them has been unclear. Here we show that these two processes are linked by a phenotypic “memory” that arises from a carry-over of molecules from the vegetative cell into the spore. By imaging life histories of individual B. subtilis cells using fluorescent reporters, we demonstrate that sporulation timing controls nutrient-induced spore revival. Alanine dehydrogenase contributes to spore memory and controls alanine-induced outgrowth, thereby coupling a spore’s revival capacity to the gene expression and growth history of its progenitors. A theoretical analysis, and experiments with signaling mutants exhibiting altered sporulation timing, support the hypothesis that such an intrinsically generated memory leads to a tradeoff between spore quantity and spore quality, which could drive the emergence of complex microbial traits.

Date: 2018
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-02477-1

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