CHANGES IN CELL MORPHOLOGY AND MOTILITY IN THE MARINE VIBRIO SP STRAIN S14 DURING CONDITIONS OF STARVATION AND RECOVERY

Cell morphology and motility of the marine Vibrio sp. strain S14 was m onitored during multiple nutrient starvation for 16 days and subsequen t recovery. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that, by 16 days of starvation, 97% of the cells had lost motility due to shedding of the flagellum from the cell. Cell morphology revealed that nutrient re covery after long-term starvation, was a heterogeneous response within the population. Within the first hour of nutrient supplementation, 20 % of cells regained motility due to resynthesis of the flagellum and m otile numbers increased by another 20% over the next 2.5 h by which ti me approx. 40% of total cell numbers had recovered plate culturability . Within 3.5 h of recovery, the majority of cells had resumed cell siz e equal to that of growing cells and a minority of total cell numbers remained as unresponsive microcells; This study illustrates that cells within a population respond heterogeneously during long-term starvati on as well as nutrient recovery.