The lowermost, and the quickest layer, however, has no clear-cut edge, and dispatches cohorts of freely moving cells (“scouts”) into the space beyond; the main body of the colony will grow into the area previously “investigated”

by the scouts. With the arrest of Selleckchem 3-deazaneplanocin A growth in adult colonies, the scouting decreases and finally ceases (Figure 2a). In contrast, the rimmed F (or Fw) colonies of S. marcescens start with a fluffy verge, replaced by an edge of more solid appearance on day 3; terraces do not appear (Figure 2b). Again, from BIBW2992 chemical structure day 3 on, flocks of scouts travel beyond the edge into the free space around, to subside with maturation and cessation of growth. The adult M morphotype of S. marcescens (Figure 2b) differs from its parent (F) by a sharp margin, and delayed scouting (after day 5). Finally, Figure 2c shows development of an E. coli colony under identical conditions; colonies of this species also develop terraces on the margin, and send out

scouts during MLN2238 in vivo vigorous colony growth. Developmental plasticity induced by varying culture conditions It is important to stress that given morphotypes develop towards phenotypes described in Figure 2 only under strictly defined culture conditions (the extreme sensitivity of colony structure to cultivation protocols in Bacillus see also [1, 29], in S. cerevisiae[30]). Different media and/or conditions will lead to different patterning (see below); we have investigated the

effects of temperature and manipulations with media composition in more detail. Similarly, the presence of colonies of either S. rubidaea or E. coli in the vicinity leads to a switch of the F morphotype Ponatinib chemical structure into a new structure (called below X, see Figure 4). Figure 4 Modification of F colony structure by neighboring baterial bodies. a Formation of X structures of the F morphotype in the vicinity of non-F maculae (day 10) on media with (i-iii) and without (iv) glucose (NA vs. NAG); b Cross-section diagram of X structure and the microscopic pattern of its margin. Effect of temperature R, W, F, and Fw morphotypes were planted on NAG at three different temperatures: 27°C (standard development), 6°C, and 35°C. As expected, at low temperature the bacteria did not grow, albeit they survived for long periods and upon transfer to permissive conditions (27°C) resumed standard growth, after some lag (data not shown). Cultivation at 35°C (Figure 3a) did not affect the final colony size, yet early phases of growth proceeded faster, and the colony patterning frequently deviated from the typical symmetry (especially in F, Fw); moreover, the coloration was lacking (F) or disrupted (R). Hence, higher temperature somewhat interfered with morphogenetic events.