Gene expression of a Photorhabdus M-form variant relative to the wild type P-form cells

Photorhabdus luminescens bacteria alternate lifestyles between its pathogenic insect host and its mutualistic nematode host. We found that Photorhabdus changes radically from the insect pathogenic form (P-form) to slow growing small cells when initiating mutualism (M-form). Here we characterize the gene expression of the M-form relative to the P-form. RNA was extracted from mid-exponential phase bacterial cultures of genetically locked P-form and M-form cells in LB media supplemented with 1 g/liter sodium pyruvate at 28 degree celcius. M-form gene expression was calculated relative to P-form. Three replicates were performed for each biological sample.