Min oscillations in bacteria as real-time reporter of environmental challenges at the single-cell level

Min oscillations are a fascinating mechanism used by Escherichia coli to find their middle. Beyond their biological role, they provide a convenient and relatively unexplored method to monitor the effect of sublethal environmental challenges on bacterial physiology in real-time and at the single-cell...

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Main Authors: Ingrid V. Ortega, Felipe Viela, Cristina Flors
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: The Royal Society 2023-07-01
Series:Open Biology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsob.230020
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author Ingrid V. Ortega
Felipe Viela
Cristina Flors
author_facet Ingrid V. Ortega
Felipe Viela
Cristina Flors
author_sort Ingrid V. Ortega
collection DOAJ
description Min oscillations are a fascinating mechanism used by Escherichia coli to find their middle. Beyond their biological role, they provide a convenient and relatively unexplored method to monitor the effect of sublethal environmental challenges on bacterial physiology in real-time and at the single-cell level. In this review, we discuss the original papers that put forward the idea of using Min oscillations as a reporting tool to monitor the effect of extracellular cationic compounds, including antibiotics. More recent work from our laboratory explores this tool to follow bacterial response to other challenges such as weak mechanical interactions with nanomaterials or photodynamic treatment. We discuss the physiological meaning of the changes in Min oscillation period, likely related to membrane potential dynamics, as well as the benefits and limitations of using oscillations as a reporter in fluorescence microscopy. Overall, Min oscillations are a useful addition to the fluorescence microscopy toolbox in order to visualize stress responses in E. coli, and have the potential to provide full mechanistic understanding of the events that lead to bacterial cell death in different contexts.
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spelling doaj.art-07d1227b11224aa9a6c4d5384e5f4dff2023-07-26T07:05:18ZengThe Royal SocietyOpen Biology2046-24412023-07-0113710.1098/rsob.230020Min oscillations in bacteria as real-time reporter of environmental challenges at the single-cell levelIngrid V. Ortega0Felipe Viela1Cristina Flors2Madrid Institute for Advanced Studies in Nanoscience (IMDEA Nanociencia), C/ Faraday 9, Madrid 28049, SpainMadrid Institute for Advanced Studies in Nanoscience (IMDEA Nanociencia), C/ Faraday 9, Madrid 28049, SpainMadrid Institute for Advanced Studies in Nanoscience (IMDEA Nanociencia), C/ Faraday 9, Madrid 28049, SpainMin oscillations are a fascinating mechanism used by Escherichia coli to find their middle. Beyond their biological role, they provide a convenient and relatively unexplored method to monitor the effect of sublethal environmental challenges on bacterial physiology in real-time and at the single-cell level. In this review, we discuss the original papers that put forward the idea of using Min oscillations as a reporting tool to monitor the effect of extracellular cationic compounds, including antibiotics. More recent work from our laboratory explores this tool to follow bacterial response to other challenges such as weak mechanical interactions with nanomaterials or photodynamic treatment. We discuss the physiological meaning of the changes in Min oscillation period, likely related to membrane potential dynamics, as well as the benefits and limitations of using oscillations as a reporter in fluorescence microscopy. Overall, Min oscillations are a useful addition to the fluorescence microscopy toolbox in order to visualize stress responses in E. coli, and have the potential to provide full mechanistic understanding of the events that lead to bacterial cell death in different contexts.https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsob.230020fluorescence microscopyfluorescent reportersMin oscillationssingle cell imagingsublethalbacterial stress response
spellingShingle Ingrid V. Ortega
Felipe Viela
Cristina Flors
Min oscillations in bacteria as real-time reporter of environmental challenges at the single-cell level
Open Biology
fluorescence microscopy
fluorescent reporters
Min oscillations
single cell imaging
sublethal
bacterial stress response
title Min oscillations in bacteria as real-time reporter of environmental challenges at the single-cell level
title_full Min oscillations in bacteria as real-time reporter of environmental challenges at the single-cell level
title_fullStr Min oscillations in bacteria as real-time reporter of environmental challenges at the single-cell level
title_full_unstemmed Min oscillations in bacteria as real-time reporter of environmental challenges at the single-cell level
title_short Min oscillations in bacteria as real-time reporter of environmental challenges at the single-cell level
title_sort min oscillations in bacteria as real time reporter of environmental challenges at the single cell level
topic fluorescence microscopy
fluorescent reporters
Min oscillations
single cell imaging
sublethal
bacterial stress response
url https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsob.230020
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AT cristinaflors minoscillationsinbacteriaasrealtimereporterofenvironmentalchallengesatthesinglecelllevel