HANOVER, N.H. - August 9, 2019 - Certain strains of cholera can change their shape in response to environmental conditions to aid their short-term survival, according to new research from Dartmouth College.
In the research, some strains of the bacterium Vibrio cholerae transformed themselves from small, comma-shaped cells to long filaments in nutrient-poor environments.
According to the study, the formation of the elongated cell shapes allows the rapid formation of communities of bacteria that bind to surfaces - known as biofilms - that are essential in turbulent nutrient environments.
"Bacteria are normally thought of as solitary organisms, but they are actually highly-social organisms that like to live in groups," said Carey Nadell, an assistant professor of biology at Dartmouth.
"This research shows that we can relate cell structure to group behavior in new ways when looking at realistic environments."
When not inside a human host, V. cholerae grows on nutritious pieces of debris in aquatic environments.