Abstract
We have identified a novel type of bacterial communication mediated by tubular extensions (nanotubes) that bridge neighboring cells. Using Bacillus subtilis as a model organism we monitored the transfer of cytoplasmic fluorescent molecules and antibiotic resistance proteins among adjacent cells. High resolution microscopy revealed the existence of variously sized nanotubes bridging neighboring cells, serving as a route for exchange of intracellular molecules. These nanotubes were also formed in an interspecies manner, between B. subtilis and S. aureus, and even between B. subtilis and the evolutionary distant bacterium E. coli. I will describe our recently developed microscopy imaging approaches that allow us to visualize nanotubes formation in living cells and follow their growth and dynamics. I will also describe the structure of the tubes, their initial biochemical analysis and their involvement in expending the cell surface and construction of multicellular colonies.