1
|
Dudek NK, Galaz-Montoya JG, Shi H, Mayer M, Danita C, Celis AI, Viehboeck T, Wu GH, Behr B, Bulgheresi S, Huang KC, Chiu W, Relman DA. Previously uncharacterized rectangular bacterial structures in the dolphin mouth. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2098. [PMID: 37055390 PMCID: PMC10102025 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37638-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 04/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Much remains to be explored regarding the diversity of uncultured, host-associated microbes. Here, we describe rectangular bacterial structures (RBSs) in the mouths of bottlenose dolphins. DNA staining revealed multiple paired bands within RBSs, suggesting the presence of cells dividing along the longitudinal axis. Cryogenic transmission electron microscopy and tomography showed parallel membrane-bound segments that are likely cells, encapsulated by an S-layer-like periodic surface covering. RBSs displayed unusual pilus-like appendages with bundles of threads splayed at the tips. We present multiple lines of evidence, including genomic DNA sequencing of micromanipulated RBSs, 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and fluorescence in situ hybridization, suggesting that RBSs are bacterial and distinct from the genera Simonsiella and Conchiformibius (family Neisseriaceae), with which they share similar morphology and division patterning. Our findings highlight the diversity of novel microbial forms and lifestyles that await characterization using tools complementary to genomics such as microscopy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Natasha K Dudek
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA
- Quantori, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
| | | | - Handuo Shi
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Megan Mayer
- Division of CryoEM and Bioimaging, SSRL, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, 94025, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Cristina Danita
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Arianna I Celis
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Tobias Viehboeck
- Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, Environmental Cell Biology Group, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Division of Microbial Ecology, Center for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, and Vienna Doctoral School of Ecology and Evolution, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Gong-Her Wu
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Barry Behr
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Silvia Bulgheresi
- Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, Environmental Cell Biology Group, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Kerwyn Casey Huang
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Wah Chiu
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
- Division of CryoEM and Bioimaging, SSRL, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, 94025, USA
| | - David A Relman
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA.
- Infectious Diseases Section, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA, 94304, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Nyongesa S, Weber PM, Bernet È, Pulido F, Nieves C, Nieckarz M, Delaby M, Viehboeck T, Krause N, Rivera-Millot A, Nakamura A, Vischer NOE, vanNieuwenhze M, Brun YV, Cava F, Bulgheresi S, Veyrier FJ. Evolution of longitudinal division in multicellular bacteria of the Neisseriaceae family. Nat Commun 2022; 13:4853. [PMID: 35995772 PMCID: PMC9395523 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32260-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Rod-shaped bacteria typically elongate and divide by transverse fission. However, several bacterial species can form rod-shaped cells that divide longitudinally. Here, we study the evolution of cell shape and division mode within the family Neisseriaceae, which includes Gram-negative coccoid and rod-shaped species. In particular, bacteria of the genera Alysiella, Simonsiella and Conchiformibius, which can be found in the oral cavity of mammals, are multicellular and divide longitudinally. We use comparative genomics and ultrastructural microscopy to infer that longitudinal division within Neisseriaceae evolved from a rod-shaped ancestor. In multicellular longitudinally-dividing species, neighbouring cells within multicellular filaments are attached by their lateral peptidoglycan. In these bacteria, peptidoglycan insertion does not appear concentric, i.e. from the cell periphery to its centre, but as a medial sheet guillotining each cell. Finally, we identify genes and alleles associated with multicellularity and longitudinal division, including the acquisition of amidase-encoding gene amiC2, and amino acid changes in proteins including MreB and FtsA. Introduction of amiC2 and allelic substitution of mreB in a rod-shaped species that divides by transverse fission results in shorter cells with longer septa. Our work sheds light on the evolution of multicellularity and longitudinal division in bacteria, and suggests that members of the Neisseriaceae family may be good models to study these processes due to their morphological plasticity and genetic tractability. Rod-shaped bacteria typically elongate and divide by transverse fission, but a few species are known to divide longitudinally. Here, the authors use genomic, phylogenetic and microscopy techniques to shed light on the evolution of cell shape, multicellularity and division mode within the family Neisseriaceae.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sammy Nyongesa
- INRS-Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Bacterial Symbionts Evolution, Laval, QC, H7V 1B7, Canada
| | - Philipp M Weber
- Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, Environmental Cell Biology Group, University of Vienna, Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria.,University of Vienna, Vienna Doctoral School of Ecology and Evolution, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ève Bernet
- INRS-Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Bacterial Symbionts Evolution, Laval, QC, H7V 1B7, Canada
| | - Francisco Pulido
- INRS-Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Bacterial Symbionts Evolution, Laval, QC, H7V 1B7, Canada
| | - Cecilia Nieves
- INRS-Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Bacterial Symbionts Evolution, Laval, QC, H7V 1B7, Canada
| | - Marta Nieckarz
- Department of Molecular Biology and Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS), Umeå Centre for Microbial Research (UCMR), Umeå University, Umeå, SE-90187, Sweden
| | - Marie Delaby
- Département de microbiologie, infectiologie et immunologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Tobias Viehboeck
- Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, Environmental Cell Biology Group, University of Vienna, Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria.,University of Vienna, Vienna Doctoral School of Ecology and Evolution, Vienna, Austria.,Division of Microbial Ecology, Center for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, , University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Nicole Krause
- Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, Environmental Cell Biology Group, University of Vienna, Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria.,University of Vienna, Vienna Doctoral School of Ecology and Evolution, Vienna, Austria
| | - Alex Rivera-Millot
- INRS-Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Bacterial Symbionts Evolution, Laval, QC, H7V 1B7, Canada
| | - Arnaldo Nakamura
- INRS-Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Bacterial Symbionts Evolution, Laval, QC, H7V 1B7, Canada
| | - Norbert O E Vischer
- Bacterial Cell Biology & Physiology, Swammerdam Institute of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | | | - Yves V Brun
- Département de microbiologie, infectiologie et immunologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Felipe Cava
- Department of Molecular Biology and Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS), Umeå Centre for Microbial Research (UCMR), Umeå University, Umeå, SE-90187, Sweden
| | - Silvia Bulgheresi
- Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, Environmental Cell Biology Group, University of Vienna, Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Frédéric J Veyrier
- INRS-Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Bacterial Symbionts Evolution, Laval, QC, H7V 1B7, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Weber PM, Paredes GF, Viehboeck T, Pende N, Volland JM, Gros O, VanNieuwenhze M, Ott J, Bulgheresi S. FtsZ-mediated fission of a cuboid bacterial symbiont. iScience 2022; 25:103552. [PMID: 35059602 PMCID: PMC8760462 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.103552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Revised: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Less than a handful of cuboid and squared cells have been described in nature, which makes them a rarity. Here, we show how Candidatus Thiosymbion cuboideus, a cube-like gammaproteobacterium, reproduces on the surface of marine free-living nematodes. Immunostaining of symbiont cells with an anti-fimbriae antibody revealed that they are host-polarized, as these appendages exclusively localized at the host-proximal (animal-attached) pole. Moreover, by applying a fluorescently labeled metabolic probe to track new cell wall insertion in vivo, we observed that the host-attached pole started septation before the distal one. Similarly, Ca. T. cuboideus cells immunostained with an anti-FtsZ antibody revealed a proximal-to-distal localization pattern of this tubulin homolog. Although FtsZ has been shown to arrange into squares in synthetically remodeled cuboid cells, here we show that FtsZ may also mediate the division of naturally occurring ones. This implies that, even in natural settings, membrane roundness is not required for FtsZ function. Ca. T. cuboideus cells are cuboid Septation is host oriented in Ca. T. cuboideus FtsZ localization pattern recapitulates that of new PG insertion FtsZ polymerizes into either straight or sharp-cornered filaments
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Philipp M. Weber
- Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, Environmental Cell Biology Group, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Gabriela F. Paredes
- Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, Environmental Cell Biology Group, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Tobias Viehboeck
- Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, Environmental Cell Biology Group, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria
- Division of Microbial Ecology, Center for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Nika Pende
- Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, Environmental Cell Biology Group, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria
- Evolutionary Biology of the Microbial Cell Unit, Department of Microbiology, Institut Pasteur, 25-28 Rue du Dr Roux, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Jean-Marie Volland
- Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, Environmental Cell Biology Group, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria
- Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- LRC Systems, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA
| | - Olivier Gros
- C3MAG, UFR Des Sciences Exactes Et Naturelles, Université Des Antilles, BP 592, 97159 Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe, France
| | | | - Jörg Ott
- Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, Limnology and Bio-Oceanography Unit, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Silvia Bulgheresi
- Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, Environmental Cell Biology Group, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria
- Corresponding author
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Paredes GF, Viehboeck T, Lee R, Palatinszky M, Mausz MA, Reipert S, Schintlmeister A, Maier A, Volland JM, Hirschfeld C, Wagner M, Berry D, Markert S, Bulgheresi S, König L. Anaerobic Sulfur Oxidation Underlies Adaptation of a Chemosynthetic Symbiont to Oxic-Anoxic Interfaces. mSystems 2021; 6:e0118620. [PMID: 34058098 PMCID: PMC8269255 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.01186-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Chemosynthetic symbioses occur worldwide in marine habitats, but comprehensive physiological studies of chemoautotrophic bacteria thriving on animals are scarce. Stilbonematinae are coated by thiotrophic Gammaproteobacteria. As these nematodes migrate through the redox zone, their ectosymbionts experience varying oxygen concentrations. However, nothing is known about how these variations affect their physiology. Here, by applying omics, Raman microspectroscopy, and stable isotope labeling, we investigated the effect of oxygen on "Candidatus Thiosymbion oneisti." Unexpectedly, sulfur oxidation genes were upregulated in anoxic relative to oxic conditions, but carbon fixation genes and incorporation of 13C-labeled bicarbonate were not. Instead, several genes involved in carbon fixation were upregulated under oxic conditions, together with genes involved in organic carbon assimilation, polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) biosynthesis, nitrogen fixation, and urea utilization. Furthermore, in the presence of oxygen, stress-related genes were upregulated together with vitamin biosynthesis genes likely necessary to withstand oxidative stress, and the symbiont appeared to proliferate less. Based on its physiological response to oxygen, we propose that "Ca. T. oneisti" may exploit anaerobic sulfur oxidation coupled to denitrification to proliferate in anoxic sand. However, the ectosymbiont would still profit from the oxygen available in superficial sand, as the energy-efficient aerobic respiration would facilitate carbon and nitrogen assimilation. IMPORTANCE Chemoautotrophic endosymbionts are famous for exploiting sulfur oxidization to feed marine organisms with fixed carbon. However, the physiology of thiotrophic bacteria thriving on the surface of animals (ectosymbionts) is less understood. One longstanding hypothesis posits that attachment to animals that migrate between reduced and oxic environments would boost sulfur oxidation, as the ectosymbionts would alternatively access sulfide and oxygen, the most favorable electron acceptor. Here, we investigated the effect of oxygen on the physiology of "Candidatus Thiosymbion oneisti," a gammaproteobacterium which lives attached to marine nematodes inhabiting shallow-water sand. Surprisingly, sulfur oxidation genes were upregulated under anoxic relative to oxic conditions. Furthermore, under anoxia, the ectosymbiont appeared to be less stressed and to proliferate more. We propose that animal-mediated access to oxygen, rather than enhancing sulfur oxidation, would facilitate assimilation of carbon and nitrogen by the ectosymbiont.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela F. Paredes
- University of Vienna, Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, Environmental Cell Biology Group, Vienna, Austria
| | - Tobias Viehboeck
- University of Vienna, Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, Environmental Cell Biology Group, Vienna, Austria
- University of Vienna, Center for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, Division of Microbial Ecology, Vienna, Austria
| | - Raymond Lee
- Washington State University, School of Biological Sciences, Pullman, Washington, USA
| | - Marton Palatinszky
- University of Vienna, Center for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, Division of Microbial Ecology, Vienna, Austria
| | - Michaela A. Mausz
- University of Warwick, School of Life Sciences, Coventry, United Kingdom
| | - Siegfried Reipert
- University of Vienna, Core Facility Cell Imaging and Ultrastructure Research, Vienna, Austria
| | - Arno Schintlmeister
- University of Vienna, Center for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, Division of Microbial Ecology, Vienna, Austria
- University of Vienna, Center for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, Large-Instrument Facility for Environmental and Isotope Mass Spectrometry, Vienna, Austria
| | - Andreas Maier
- University of Vienna, Faculty of Geosciences, Geography, and Astronomy, Department of Geography and Regional Research, Geoecology, Vienna, Austria
| | - Jean-Marie Volland
- University of Vienna, Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, Environmental Cell Biology Group, Vienna, Austria
| | - Claudia Hirschfeld
- University of Greifswald, Institute of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Michael Wagner
- University of Vienna, Center for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, Division of Microbial Ecology, Vienna, Austria
- Aalborg University, Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - David Berry
- University of Vienna, Center for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, Division of Microbial Ecology, Vienna, Austria
- Joint Microbiome Facility of the Medical University of Vienna and the University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Stephanie Markert
- University of Greifswald, Institute of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Silvia Bulgheresi
- University of Vienna, Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, Environmental Cell Biology Group, Vienna, Austria
| | - Lena König
- University of Vienna, Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, Environmental Cell Biology Group, Vienna, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Garcia-Perez C, Ito K, Geijo J, Feldbauer R, Schreiber N, Zu Castell W. Efficient Detection of Longitudinal Bacteria Fission Using Transfer Learning in Deep Neural Networks. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:645972. [PMID: 34168623 PMCID: PMC8217615 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.645972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
A very common way to classify bacteria is through microscopic images. Microscopic cell counting is a widely used technique to measure microbial growth. To date, fully automated methodologies are available for accurate and fast measurements; yet for bacteria dividing longitudinally, as in the case of Candidatus Thiosymbion oneisti, its cell count mainly remains manual. The identification of this type of cell division is important because it helps to detect undergoing cellular division from those which are not dividing once the sample is fixed. Our solution automates the classification of longitudinal division by using a machine learning method called residual network. Using transfer learning, we train a binary classification model in fewer epochs compared to the model trained without it. This potentially eliminates most of the manual labor of classifying the type of bacteria cell division. The approach is useful in automatically labeling a certain bacteria division after detecting and segmenting (extracting) individual bacteria images from microscopic images of colonies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Garcia-Perez
- Information and Communication Technology Department (ICT), Complex Systems, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Keiichi Ito
- Information and Communication Technology Department (ICT), Complex Systems, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Javier Geijo
- Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Roman Feldbauer
- Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Nico Schreiber
- Information and Communication Technology Department (ICT), Complex Systems, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Zu Castell
- Information and Communication Technology Department (ICT), Complex Systems, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany.,Department of Mathematics, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Weber PM, Moessel F, Paredes GF, Viehboeck T, Vischer NO, Bulgheresi S. A Bidimensional Segregation Mode Maintains Symbiont Chromosome Orientation toward Its Host. Curr Biol 2019; 29:3018-3028.e4. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.07.064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2019] [Revised: 06/24/2019] [Accepted: 07/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
|
7
|
Vedyaykin AD, Ponomareva EV, Khodorkovskii MA, Borchsenius SN, Vishnyakov IE. Mechanisms of Bacterial Cell Division. Microbiology (Reading) 2019. [DOI: 10.1134/s0026261719030159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
|
8
|
Mateos-Gil P, Tarazona P, Vélez M. Bacterial cell division: modeling FtsZ assembly and force generation from single filament experimental data. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2019; 43:73-87. [PMID: 30376053 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuy039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2018] [Accepted: 10/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The bacterial cytoskeletal protein FtsZ binds and hydrolyzes GTP, self-aggregates into dynamic filaments and guides the assembly of the septal ring on the inner side of the membrane at midcell. This ring constricts the cell during division and is present in most bacteria. Despite exhaustive studies undertaken in the last 25 years after its discovery, we do not yet know the mechanism by which this GTP-dependent self-aggregating protein exerts force on the underlying membrane. This paper reviews recent experiments and theoretical models proposed to explain FtsZ filament dynamic assembly and force generation. It highlights how recent observations of single filaments on reconstituted model systems and computational modeling are contributing to develop new multiscale models that stress the importance of previously overlooked elements as monomer internal flexibility, filament twist and flexible anchoring to the cell membrane. These elements contribute to understand the rich behavior of these GTP consuming dynamic filaments on surfaces. The aim of this review is 2-fold: (1) to summarize recent multiscale models and their implications to understand the molecular mechanism of FtsZ assembly and force generation and (2) to update theoreticians with recent experimental results.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Mateos-Gil
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, FO.R.T.H, Vassilika Vouton, 70013 Heraklion, Greece
| | - Pedro Tarazona
- Condensed Matter Physics Center (IFIMAC) and Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales Nicolás Cabrera, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, E-28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Marisela Vélez
- Instituto de Catálisis y Petroleoquímica CSIC, c/ Marie Curie 2, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
den Blaauwen T. Is Longitudinal Division in Rod-Shaped Bacteria a Matter of Swapping Axis? Front Microbiol 2018; 9:822. [PMID: 29867786 PMCID: PMC5952006 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.00822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2018] [Accepted: 04/11/2018] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The morphology of bacterial species shows a wealth of variation from star-shaped to spherical and rod- to spiral-shaped, to mention a few. Their mode of growth and division is also very diverse and flexible ranging from polar growth and lateral surface increase to midcell expansion and from perpendicular to longitudinal asymmetric division. Gammaproteobacterial rod-shaped species such as Escherchia coli divide perpendicularly and grow in length, whereas the genetically very similar rod-shaped symbiotic Thiosymbion divide longitudinally, and some species even divide asynchronously while growing in width. The ovococcal Streptococcus pneumoniae also lengthens and divides perpendicularly, yet it is genetically very different from E. coli. Are these differences as dramatic as is suggested by visual inspection, or can they all be achieved by subtle variation in the regulation of the same protein complexes that synthesize the cell envelope? Most bacteria rely on the cytoskeletal polymer FtsZ to organize cell division, but only a subset of species use the actin homolog MreB for length growth, although some of them are morphologically not that different. Poles are usually negative determinant for cell division. Curved cell poles can be inert or active with respect to peptidoglycan synthesis, can localize chemotaxis and other sensing proteins or other bacterial equipment, such as pili, depending on the species. But what is actually the definition of a pole? This review discusses the possible common denominators for growth and division of distinct and similar bacterial species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tanneke den Blaauwen
- Bacterial Cell Biology and Physiology, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Abstract
Symbiotic bacteria of the genus Thiosymbion attach to the surface of their nematode hosts using their poles and divide by longitudinal binary fission. A new study now sheds light on the molecular mechanisms that underlie this peculiar mode of proliferation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Martin Thanbichler
- Faculty of Biology & LOEWE Center for Synthetic Microbiology, Philipps-Universität Marburg and Max Planck Fellow Group "Prokaryotic Cell Biology", Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Pende N, Wang J, Weber PM, Verheul J, Kuru E, Rittmann SKMR, Leisch N, VanNieuwenhze MS, Brun YV, den Blaauwen T, Bulgheresi S. Host-Polarized Cell Growth in Animal Symbionts. Curr Biol 2018; 28:1039-1051.e5. [PMID: 29576473 PMCID: PMC6611161 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2018.02.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2017] [Revised: 12/13/2017] [Accepted: 02/15/2018] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
To determine the fundamentals of cell growth, we must extend cell
biological studies to non-model organisms. Here, we investigated the growth
modes of the only two rods known to widen instead of elongating,
Candidatus Thiosymbion oneisti and Thiosymbion
hypermnestrae. These bacteria are attached by one pole to the surface of their
respective nematode hosts. By incubating live Ca. T. oneisti
and T. hypermnestrae with a peptidoglycan metabolic probe, we observed that the
insertion of new cell wall starts at the poles and proceeds inward,
concomitantly with FtsZ-based membrane constriction. Remarkably, in
Ca. T. hypermnestrae, the proximal, animal-attached pole
grows before the distal, free pole, indicating that the peptidoglycan synthesis
machinery is host oriented. Immunostaining of the symbionts with an antibody
against the actin homolog MreB revealed that it was arranged
medially—that is, parallel to the cell long axis—throughout the
symbiont life cycle. Given that depolymerization of MreB abolished newly
synthesized peptidoglycan insertion and impaired divisome assembly, we conclude
that MreB function is required for symbiont widening and division. In
conclusion, our data invoke a reassessment of the localization and function of
the bacterial actin homolog. Pende et al. show that cell growth is host oriented in two marine
nematode-attached bacteria. In contrast to what is observed in model rods, the
actin homolog MreB of the symbionts is arranged parallel to the cell long axis
throughout the cell cycle. This medial MreB ring is essential for symbiont
growth and division.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nika Pende
- University of Vienna, Department of Ecogenomics and Systems Biology, Archaeal Biology and Ecogenomics Division, Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Jinglan Wang
- Bacterial Cell Biology and Physiology Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1108, 1081 Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Philipp M Weber
- University of Vienna, Department of Ecogenomics and Systems Biology, Archaeal Biology and Ecogenomics Division, Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Jolanda Verheul
- Bacterial Cell Biology and Physiology Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1108, 1081 Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Erkin Kuru
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School NRB, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Simon K-M R Rittmann
- University of Vienna, Department of Ecogenomics and Systems Biology, Archaeal Biology and Ecogenomics Division, Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Nikolaus Leisch
- University of Vienna, Department of Ecogenomics and Systems Biology, Archaeal Biology and Ecogenomics Division, Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Yves V Brun
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Tanneke den Blaauwen
- Bacterial Cell Biology and Physiology Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1108, 1081 Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Silvia Bulgheresi
- University of Vienna, Department of Ecogenomics and Systems Biology, Archaeal Biology and Ecogenomics Division, Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Krupka M, Margolin W. Unite to divide: Oligomerization of tubulin and actin homologs regulates initiation of bacterial cell division. F1000Res 2018; 7:235. [PMID: 29560258 PMCID: PMC5832921 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.13504.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/21/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
To generate two cells from one, bacteria such as
Escherichia coli use a complex of membrane-embedded proteins called the divisome that synthesize the division septum. The initial stage of cytokinesis requires a tubulin homolog, FtsZ, which forms polymers that treadmill around the cell circumference. The attachment of these polymers to the cytoplasmic membrane requires an actin homolog, FtsA, which also forms dynamic polymers that directly bind to FtsZ. Recent evidence indicates that FtsA and FtsZ regulate each other’s oligomeric state in
E. coli to control the progression of cytokinesis, including the recruitment of septum synthesis proteins. In this review, we focus on recent advances in our understanding of protein-protein association between FtsZ and FtsA in the initial stages of divisome function, mainly in the well-characterized
E. coli system.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marcin Krupka
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, McGovern Medical School, Houston, USA
| | - William Margolin
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, McGovern Medical School, Houston, USA
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Caccamo PD, Brun YV. The Molecular Basis of Noncanonical Bacterial Morphology. Trends Microbiol 2017; 26:191-208. [PMID: 29056293 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2017.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2017] [Revised: 09/08/2017] [Accepted: 09/28/2017] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Bacteria come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. The true picture of bacterial morphological diversity is likely skewed due to an experimental focus on pathogens and industrially relevant organisms. Indeed, most of the work elucidating the genes and molecular processes involved in maintaining bacterial morphology has been limited to rod- or coccal-shaped model systems. The mechanisms of shape evolution, the molecular processes underlying diverse shapes and growth modes, and how individual cells can dynamically modulate their shape are just beginning to be revealed. Here we discuss recent work aimed at advancing our knowledge of shape diversity and uncovering the molecular basis for shape generation in noncanonical and morphologically complex bacteria.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paul D Caccamo
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, 1001 E. 3rd St, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Yves V Brun
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, 1001 E. 3rd St, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Abstract
The last three decades have witnessed an explosion of discoveries about the mechanistic details of binary fission in model bacteria such as Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, and Caulobacter crescentus. This was made possible not only by advances in microscopy that helped answer questions about cell biology but also by clever genetic manipulations that directly and easily tested specific hypotheses. More recently, research using understudied organisms, or nonmodel systems, has revealed several alternate mechanistic strategies that bacteria use to divide and propagate. In this review, we highlight new findings and compare these strategies to cell division mechanisms elucidated in model organisms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Prahathees J Eswara
- Department of Cell Biology, Microbiology and Molecular Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida 33620;
| | - Kumaran S Ramamurthi
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-5132;
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Yao Q, Jewett AI, Chang YW, Oikonomou CM, Beeby M, Iancu CV, Briegel A, Ghosal D, Jensen GJ. Short FtsZ filaments can drive asymmetric cell envelope constriction at the onset of bacterial cytokinesis. EMBO J 2017; 36:1577-1589. [PMID: 28438890 DOI: 10.15252/embj.201696235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2016] [Revised: 03/17/2017] [Accepted: 03/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
FtsZ, the bacterial homologue of eukaryotic tubulin, plays a central role in cell division in nearly all bacteria and many archaea. It forms filaments under the cytoplasmic membrane at the division site where, together with other proteins it recruits, it drives peptidoglycan synthesis and constricts the cell. Despite extensive study, the arrangement of FtsZ filaments and their role in division continue to be debated. Here, we apply electron cryotomography to image the native structure of intact dividing cells and show that constriction in a variety of Gram-negative bacterial cells, including Proteus mirabilis and Caulobacter crescentus, initiates asymmetrically, accompanied by asymmetric peptidoglycan incorporation and short FtsZ-like filament formation. These results show that a complete ring of FtsZ is not required for constriction and lead us to propose a model for FtsZ-driven division in which short dynamic FtsZ filaments can drive initial peptidoglycan synthesis and envelope constriction at the onset of cytokinesis, later increasing in length and number to encircle the division plane and complete constriction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qing Yao
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Andrew I Jewett
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Yi-Wei Chang
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Catherine M Oikonomou
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Morgan Beeby
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Cristina V Iancu
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Ariane Briegel
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Debnath Ghosal
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Grant J Jensen
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA .,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Abstract
The identification of the FtsZ ring by Bi and Lutkenhaus in 1991 was a defining moment for the field of bacterial cell division. Not only did the presence of the FtsZ ring provide fodder for the next 25 years of research, the application of a then cutting-edge approach-immunogold labeling of bacterial cells-inspired other investigators to apply similarly state-of-the-art technologies in their own work. These efforts have led to important advances in our understanding of the factors underlying assembly and maintenance of the division machinery. At the same time, significant questions about the mechanisms coordinating division with cell growth, DNA replication, and chromosome segregation remain. This review addresses the most prominent of these questions, setting the stage for the next 25 years.
Collapse
|