Espinoza Miranda Suyen Solange, Abbaszade Gorkhmaz, Hess Wolfgang R, Drescher Knut, Saliba Antoine-Emmanuel, Zaburdaev Vasily, Chai Liraz, Dreisewerd Klaus, Grünberger Alexander, Westendorf Christian, Müller Susann, Mascher Thorsten
Institute for Molecular Infection Biology (IMIB), University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, Leipzig, Germany.
Microbiol Mol Biol Rev. 2025 Mar 27;89(1):e0013824. doi: 10.1128/mmbr.00138-24. Epub 2025 Jan 24.
SUMMARYThe development of multicellularity represents a key evolutionary transition that is crucial for the emergence of complex life forms. Although multicellularity has traditionally been studied in eukaryotes, it originates in prokaryotes. Coordinated aggregation of individual cells within the confines of a colony results in emerging, higher-level functions that benefit the population as a whole. During colony differentiation, an almost infinite number of ecological and physiological population-forming forces are at work, creating complex, intricate colony structures with divergent functions. Understanding the assembly and dynamics of such populations requires resolving individual cells or cell groups within such macroscopic structures. Addressing how each cell contributes to the collective action requires pushing the resolution boundaries of key technologies that will be presented in this review. In particular, single-cell techniques provide powerful tools for studying bacterial multicellularity with unprecedented spatial and temporal resolution. These advancements include novel microscopic techniques, mass spectrometry imaging, flow cytometry, spatial transcriptomics, single-bacteria RNA sequencing, and the integration of spatiotemporal transcriptomics with microscopy, alongside advanced microfluidic cultivation systems. This review encourages exploring the synergistic potential of the new technologies in the study of bacterial multicellularity, with a particular focus on individuals in differentiated bacterial biofilms (colonies). It highlights how resolving population structures at the single-cell level and understanding their respective functions can elucidate the overarching functions of bacterial multicellular populations.
摘要
多细胞性的发展代表了一个关键的进化转变，这对于复杂生命形式的出现至关重要。尽管传统上多细胞性是在真核生物中进行研究的，但它起源于原核生物。单个细胞在菌落范围内的协调聚集会产生新兴的、更高层次的功能，从而使整个群体受益。在菌落分化过程中，几乎无数的生态和生理群体形成力量在起作用，创造出具有不同功能的复杂、精细的菌落结构。理解此类群体的组装和动态需要解析这些宏观结构中的单个细胞或细胞群。要解决每个细胞如何对集体行动做出贡献的问题，需要突破关键技术的分辨率界限，本综述将介绍这些技术。特别是，单细胞技术为以前所未有的空间和时间分辨率研究细菌多细胞性提供了强大工具。这些进展包括新型显微技术、质谱成像、流式细胞术、空间转录组学、单细菌RNA测序，以及时空转录组学与显微镜的整合，还有先进的微流控培养系统。本综述鼓励探索这些新技术在细菌多细胞性研究中的协同潜力，特别关注分化的细菌生物膜（菌落）中的个体。它强调了在单细胞水平解析群体结构并理解其各自功能如何能够阐明细菌多细胞群体的总体功能。
