Efficient colonization of mucosal surfaces is essential for opportunistic pathogens like
Pseudomonas aeruginosa, but how bacteria collectively and individually adapt to optimize
adherence, virulence and dispersal is largely unclear. Here we identified a stochastic
genetic switch, hecR–hecE, which is expressed bimodally and generates functionally
distinct bacterial subpopulations to balance P. aeruginosa growth and dispersal on surfaces.
HecE inhibits the phosphodiesterase BifA and stimulates the diguanylate cyclase WspR to …