Sustained growth and rapid dispersal of chitin-associated marine bacteria

Many biogeochemical functions involve bacteria utilizing solid substrates. However, little is known about the coordination of bacterial growth with the kinetics of attachment to and detachment from such substrates. In this quantitative study of Vibrio sp. 1A01 growing on chitin particles, we reveal the heterogeneous nature of the exponentially growing culture, comprised of two co-existing subpopulations: a minority replicating on chitin particles and a non-replicating majority which was planktonic. This partition resulted from a high rate of cell detachment from particles. Despite high detachment, sustained exponential growth of cells on particles was enabled by the enrichment of extra-cellular chitinases excreted and left behind by detached cells. The "inheritance" of these chitinases sustains the colonizing subpopulation despite its reduced density. This simple mechanism helps to circumvent a tradeoff between growth and dispersal, allowing particle-associated marine heterotrophs to explore new habitats without compromising their fitness on the habitat they have already colonized.