Fig. 2

Improved morphology of evolved Z. mobilis strains under salt conditions. All images were taken by a phase contrast microscope. Left top; growing Zm6 in the complex medium without addition of salt. Right top; growing Zm6 in the medium containing 0.225 M NaCl, showing abnormal bulged shape at a pole of elongated cells. Left bottom; growing strain KFS1 in the complex medium with 0.225 M NaCl, showing long filamentation of cells with occasional bulged shapes. Right bottom; growing strain KFS2 in the complex medium with 0.225 M NaCl, exhibiting shorter filamentation and less occurrence of bulged cell pole comparing to KFS1. Scale bar applies to all images; 50 μm