A riboswitch gives rise to multi-generational phenotypic heterogeneity in an auxotrophic bacterium

Abstract

Auxotrophic bacteria rely on transporters to acquire essential compounds from their environment. Here, Hernandez-Valdes et al. show that a riboswitch generates long-term, stable heterogenous expression of a high-affinity methionine transporter in auxotrophic Lactococcus lactis.