Differential Multi-cellularity Is Required for the Adaptation for to Withstand Heavy Metals Toxicity.

is a multi-metal tolerant bacteria, isolated from the paddy rhizospheric soil sample. Upon the multiple metal toxicity, altered their phenotypic/morphogenesis. Here we examined the effects of cadmium (Cd2+), chromium (Cr2+), and mercury (Hg2+) on the morphogenesis of in comparison to control. We found that the ability of bacteria to grow effectively in presence of cadmium and chromium comes at a cost of acquiring cell density-driven mobility and reformation of filamentous to donut shape respectively. In particular, when bacteria grown on mercury it showed the bacteriostatic strategy to resist mercury. Furthermore, the findings suggest a large variation in the production of exo-polysaccharides (EPS) and suggest the possible role of EPS in gaining resistance to cadmium and chromium. Together this study identifies previously unknown characteristics of to participate in bioremediation and provides the first evidence on positive effects of bacterial morphogenesis and the involvement of EPS in bacteria to resisting metal toxicity.