Scattering angle resolved optical coherence tomography measures morphological changes in Bacillus subtilis colonies

SIGNIFICANCE: An unmet need is recognized for early detection and diagnosis of neurological diseases. Many psychological markers emerge years after disease onset. Mitochondrial dysfunction and corresponding neurodegeneration occur before onset of large-scale cell and tissue pathology. Early detection of subcellular morphology changes could serve as a beacon for early detection of neurological diseases. This study is on bacterial colonies, Bacillus subtilis, which are similar in size to mitochondria. AIM: This study investigates whether morphological changes can be detected in Bacillus subtilis using scattering angle resolved optical coherence tomography (SAR-OCT). APPROACH: The SAR-OCT was applied to detect scattering angle distribution changes in Bacillus subtilis. The rod-to-coccus shape transition of the bacteria was imaged, and the backscattering angle was analyzed by recording the distribution of the ratio of low- to medium angle scattering (L/M ratio). Bacillus orientation at different locations in colonies was analytically modeled and compared with SAR-OCT results. RESULTS: Significant differences in the distribution of backscattering angle were observed in Bacillus subtilis transitioning from rod-to-coccus shapes. In Bacillus subtilis, the [Formula: see text]-parameter of the Burr distribution of the SAR-OCT-derived L/M ratio was significantly smaller in coccus compared with rod-shaped bacteria. SAR-OCT-derived L/M ratio varied with bacterial position in the colony and is consistent with predicted orientations from previous studies. CONCLUSIONS: Study results support the potential of utilizing SAR-OCT to detect bacterial morphological changes.