Scientists transforming bacteria into artificial forms

Researchers at the Graduate University (OIST) of the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology have shown that microbes can be transformed into a complex and unusual set of shapes that we do not see not in nature.

The super-resolution fluorescence microscopy images reveal the molded forms of the bacterial Z rings (mounting, pseudo-color). (Credit: OIST)

The study shows just how robust these microbes can be – a discovery that could have significant consequences in this era of antibiotic resistance.

The study is focused on the FtsZ molecule; a protein that serves as a support for the assembly of other proteins during cell division.

Thousands of FtsZ proteins gather in the center of the cell and form a circular structure called Z-Ring.

In the bacteria Escherichia colithese rings are formed on the site of cell division but Bill Söderström and his colleagues wanted to know if this would still be the case.

This ring is formed along the circumference at the intermediate cell level, but I wanted to know how important the shape of the cell is for the creation of this cell. If the cell was not rod-shaped, would the Z-ring still be round? "

Bill Söderström, lead author

The technology that would allow them to know this had already been used in previous studies at OIST.

A microscopic scale frame had been used to position the bacterial cells vertically rather than on the surface of an agarose pad.

Söderström asked if the design could be modified to use a square shape and with a simple modification, the team was able to introduce the bacterial cells into a cubic form environment.

The team then used chemicals that would reduce the structural integrity of the cells to allow them to easily regain their new shape.

Enlarged view of microfabricated bacteria molds in various forms. (Credit: OIST)

As recently reported in the newspaper Nature Communicationsthe bacteria grew into cubes and the Z rings became Z squares.

The researchers then wondered what other forms the rings could be transformed and other experiments resulted in the production of triangles, pentagons and even stars to which the bacteria and their Z rings fit.

"Really, we ended up creating these extra forms for fun, but there is a very basic science at the heart of it" Söderström said.

The study shows that microbes can grow and form rings of cell division in very restrictive environments, a discovery that could have important implications for future research.

Many antibiotics work according to their ability to target cell functions involved in cell division and the FtsZ platform.

In the future, scientists studying new antibiotics should look at something other than the shape of their cell.

Our study shows that the Z ring is incredibly robust: geometry is not an obstacle to ring formation. "

Bill Söderström