TY - JOUR AU - Eckstein, Simone AU - Brehm, Jannis AU - Seidel, Michael AU - Lechtenfeld, Mats AU - Heermann, Ralf PY - 2021 DA - 2021/02/25 TI - Two novel XRE-like transcriptional regulators control phenotypic heterogeneity in Photorhabdus luminescens cell populations JO - BMC Microbiology SP - 63 VL - 21 IS - 1 AB - The insect pathogenic bacterium Photorhabdus luminescens exists in two phenotypically different forms, designated as primary (1°) and secondary (2°) cells. Upon yet unknown environmental stimuli up to 50% of the 1° cells convert to 2° cells. Among others, one important difference between the phenotypic forms is that 2° cells are unable to live in symbiosis with their partner nematodes, and therefore are not able to re-associate with them. As 100% switching of 1° to 2° cells of the population would lead to a break-down of the bacteria’s life cycle the switching process must be tightly controlled. However, the regulation mechanism of phenotypic switching is still puzzling. SN - 1471-2180 UR - https://doi.org/10.1186/s12866-021-02116-2 DO - 10.1186/s12866-021-02116-2 ID - Eckstein2021 ER -