Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • News & Views
  • Published:

Systems biology

How bacteria choose a lifestyle

Nature volume 503, pages 476–477 (2013)Cite this article

Subjects

In a bacterial population, some cells stay single and motile, whereas others settle down and form chains. A study now investigates the mechanisms that determine these outcomes. See Article p.481

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on SpringerLink
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1: To be sessile or to swim.

References

  1. Norman, T. M., Lord, N. D., Paulsson, J. & Losick, R. Nature 503, 481–486 (2013).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Wang, P. et al. Curr. Biol. 20, 1099–1103 (2010).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Chai, Y., Norman, T., Kolter, R. & Losick, R. Genes Dev. 24, 754–765 (2010).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Süel, G. M., Kulkarni, R. P., Dworkin, J., Garcia-Ojalvo, J. & Elowitz, M. B. Science 315, 1716–1719 (2007).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  5. Locke, J. C. W., Young, J. W., Fontes, M., Hernández Jiménez, M. J. & Elowitz, M. B. Science 334, 366–369 (2011).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Mackey, S. R., Golden, S. S. & Ditty, J. L. Adv. Genet. 74, 13–53 (2011).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Tolkamp, B. J., Haskell, M. J., Langford, F. M., Roberts, D. J. & Morgan, C. A. Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci. 124, 1–10 (2010).

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. James C. W. Locke is in the Sainsbury Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1LR, UK.,

    James C. W. Locke

Authors
  1. James C. W. Locke
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Locke, J. How bacteria choose a lifestyle. Nature 503, 476–477 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature12837

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nature12837

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing Microbiology

Sign up for the Nature Briefing: Microbiology newsletter — what matters in microbiology research, free to your inbox weekly.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing: Microbiology