Electrical Spiking in "Escherichia coli" Probed with a Fluorescent Voltage-Indicating Protein

Bacteria have many voltage- and ligand-gated ion channels, and population-level measurements indicate that membrane potential is important for bacterial survival. However, it has not been possible to probe voltage dynamics in an intact bacterium. Here we developed a method to reveal electrical spiki...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 2011-07, Vol.333 (6040), p.345-348
Main Authors: Kralj, Joel M., Hochbaum, Daniel R., Douglass, Adam D., Cohen, Adam E.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Action Potentials
Antimony
Bacteria
Bacteriology
Biological and medical sciences
Cells
Dyes
E coli
Electric potential
Escherichia coli
Escherichia coli - genetics
Escherichia coli - physiology
Fluorescence
Fluorescent Dyes
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
Ion Channels - metabolism
Ion Transport
Light
Membrane potential
Membrane Potentials
Microbiology
Proteins
Protons
Rhodamines - metabolism
Rhodopsin - chemistry
Rhodopsin - genetics
Rhodopsin - metabolism
Rhodopsins, Microbial
Sensors
Spectrometry, Fluorescence
Stress, Physiological
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Summary:Bacteria have many voltage- and ligand-gated ion channels, and population-level measurements indicate that membrane potential is important for bacterial survival. However, it has not been possible to probe voltage dynamics in an intact bacterium. Here we developed a method to reveal electrical spiking in "Escherichia coli". To probe bacterial membrane potential, we engineered a voltage-sensitive fluorescent protein based on green-absorbing proteorhodopsin. Expression of the proteorhodopsin optical proton sensor (PROPS) in "E. coli" revealed electrical spiking at up to 1 hertz. Spiking was sensitive to chemical and physical perturbations and coincided with rapid efflux of a small-molecule fluorophore, suggesting that bacterial efflux machinery may be electrically regulated.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.1204763