SPP 1617:  Phenotypic Heterogeneity and Sociobiology of Bacterial Populations

• Subject Area: Medicine ; Biology ; Chemistry ; Mathematics ; Physics
• Term: from 2012 to 2016
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 198695301

The Priority Programme aims at the characterisation and elucidation of the molecular mechanisms of bacterial phenotypic heterogeneity, its biological significance and the early forms of social behaviour. To reach these goals, the combined efforts of microbiologists, experimental and theoretical physicists, and chemists are required. To elaborate a comprehensive model of the biological significance of phenotypic heterogeneity projects concentrate on different social strategies of bacteria, like communication and production of common goods, division of labour, or bet-hedging. Collaborative work with the Priority Programme aims to uncover the variety of design principles responsible for phenotypic individuality. Spatial and temporal changes of gene expression in individual cells within a growing population will be quantitatively analysed. Alterations in the transcriptome and proteome of phenotypically different subpopulations will be studied. Importantly, all quantitative data will be analysed and interpreted with the help of theoretical models. These models will also be an essential tool to put phenotypic heterogeneity in an evolutionary perspective and to address the question how selection under variable conditions in different environments shaped the interaction between single organisms in a population. A better understanding of phenotypic individuality will be important for medicine and biotechnology.

• DFG Programme: Priority Programmes

Projects

• Bet-hedging and communication in E. coli? - Investigations of heterogeneous gene expression of carbohydrate uptake systems (Applicant Bettenbrock, Katja )
• Bistability in inositol utilization by Salmonella (Applicant Fuchs, Thilo Martin )
• Characterization and analysis of bacterial sugar utilization strategies employing regulated phenotypic heterogeneity (Applicant Gerland, Ulrich )
• Control of bistable gene expression in Bacillus subtilis by the transcription factor SinR and the phosphodiesterase YmdB (Applicant Stülke, Jörg )
• Coordination Funds (Applicant Jung, Kirsten )
• Genetics and dynamics of staphylococcal persister cells (Applicant Götz, Friedrich )
• Heterogeneity in Colicin E2 expression of Escherichia coli (Applicants Frey, Erwin ;  Opitz, Madeleine )
• Heterogeneity in flagella-mediated motility (Applicant Thormann, Kai )
• Heterogeneity in the secondary metabolism of Photorhabdus and Xenorhabdus (Applicant Bode, Helge Björn )
• Heterogeneity of Matrix Production in Bacterial Biofilm Formation (Applicant Hengge, Regine )
• Heterogeneous cell wall homeostasis as a survival strategy in stationary phase: balancing cell growth, antibiotic production, and envelope stress response in Bacillus subtilis (Applicants Fritz, Georg ;  Mascher, Thorsten )
• Heterogeneous gene expression, metabolic variability and differentiation in Staphylococcus epidermidis biofilms (Applicant Ziebuhr, Wilma )
• Inter-kingdom communication and phenotypic heterogeneity of Legionella in phagocytes (Applicant Hilbi, Hubert )
• Interaction of prophages and colicin Ib at the single cell and population-wide level (Applicant Stecher-Letsch, Barbara )
• Isolation and physiological characterization of cell types from heterogeneous aggregates of Staphylococcus aureus using transcriptomic analysis (Applicant López, Daniel )
• Maintenance and evolution of cooperation in synthetic microbial ecosystems (Applicants Frey, Erwin ;  Jung, Heinrich )
• Molecular mechanisms and benefits of phenotypic heterogeneity in Sinorhizobium meliloti populations (Applicant Becker, Anke )
• Molecular switches and networks involved in regulation of phenotypic heterogeneity in Sinorhizobium fredii NGR234 (Applicant Streit, Wolfgang )
• Novel high resolving microanalytical approaches to access phenotypical heterogeneity on a molecular level (Applicant Schmitt-Kopplin, Philippe )
• Phenotypic heterogeneity and bet hedging in chemotaxis of Escherichia coli (Applicant Sourjik, Victor )
• Phenotypic heterogeneity and population dynamics in biofilms (Applicant Kothe, Erika )
• Phenotypic heterogeneity and the evolution of metabolic cross-feeding interactions (Applicant Kost, Christian )
• Phenotypic heterogeneity as a strategy for speeding up adaptive evolution at minimal cost (Applicant Maier, Berenike )
• Phenotypic heterogeneity during heterologous protein production in Bacillus megaterium (Applicants Jahn, Dieter ;  Müller, Johannes )
• Phenotypic heterogeneity generated by histidine kinases based signaling networks (Applicant Jung, Kirsten )
• Quantitative single-cell analysis of colicin Ib expression in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium and its role in competition against commensal E. coli in the gut (Applicant Stecher-Letsch, Barbara )
• Regulation of phenotypic switching and heterogeneity in Photorhabdus luminescens cell populations (Applicant Heermann, Ralf )
• Spontaneous induction of cryptic prophages in populations of the model species Corynebacterium glutamicum and Escherichia coli (Applicants Frunzke, Julia ;  Kohlheyer, Dietrich ;  Wiechert, Wolfgang )
• The role of the Rcs signaling system in cell growth and size heterogeneity (Applicant Typas, Ph.D., Athanasios )
• Underlying principles of bistability in the expression of the pivotal virulence regulator RovA in Yersinia pseudotuberculosis and role for virulence (Applicant Dersch, Petra )

• Spokesperson: Professorin Dr. Kirsten Jung