Bacterial-induced pH shifts link individual cell physiology to macroscale collective behavior
Veeramuthu Dharanishanthi, Amit Orgad, Neta Rotem, Efrat Hagai, Jeny Kerstnus-Banchik, Julius Ben‐Ari, Tim Harig, Srinivasa Rao Ravella, Stefan Schulz, Yael Helman
Abstract
Significance Individual cells within a community often need to respond to changing environmental conditions at the population level. Accordingly, bacteria have evolved a large array of regulatory mechanisms that enable them to quickly reprogram behavior in a coordinated manner. Unraveling these mechanisms provides valuable information regarding collective behavior in the bacterial world. Herein, we show that by modulating the environmental pH levels, bacterial colonies reflect the nutritional status of the environment and accordingly regulate a collective form of surface motility. We further show that in mixed populations, neighboring bacterial species can change the outcome of such regulation through pH modification and thus affect the community’s spatial organization.