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Li H, E W, Zhao D, Liu H, Pei J, Du B, Liu K, Zhu X, Wang C. Response of Paenibacillus polymyxa SC2 to the stress of polymyxin B and a key ABC transporter YwjA involved. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2024; 108:17. [PMID: 38170316 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-023-12916-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 09/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Polymyxins are cationic peptide antibiotics and regarded as the "final line of defense" against multidrug-resistant bacterial infections. Meanwhile, some polymyxin-resistant strains and the corresponding resistance mechanisms have also been reported. However, the response of the polymyxin-producing strain Paenibacillus polymyxa to polymyxin stress remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the stress response of gram-positive P. polymyxa SC2 to polymyxin B and to identify functional genes involved in the stress response process. Polymyxin B treatment upregulated the expression of genes related to basal metabolism, transcriptional regulation, transport, and flagella formation and increased intracellular ROS levels, flagellar motility, and biofilm formation in P. polymyxa SC2. Adding magnesium, calcium, and iron alleviated the stress of polymyxin B on P. polymyxa SC2, furthermore, magnesium and calcium could improve the resistance of P. polymyxa SC2 to polymyxin B by promoting biofilm formation. Meanwhile, functional identification of differentially expressed genes indicated that an ABC superfamily transporter YwjA was involved in the stress response to polymyxin B of P. polymyxa SC2. This study provides an important reference for improving the resistance of P. polymyxa to polymyxins and increasing the yield of polymyxins. KEY POINTS: • Phenotypic responses of P. polymyxa to polymyxin B was performed and indicated by RNA-seq • Forming biofilm was a key strategy of P. polymyxa to alleviate polymyxin stress • ABC transporter YwjA was involved in the stress resistance of P. polymyxa to polymyxin B.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Li
- College of Life Sciences, National Engineering Research Center for Efficient Utilization of Soil and Fertilizer Resources, Shandong Engineering Research Center of Plant-Microbia Restoration for Saline-Alkali Land, Shandong Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, 271018, China
| | - Wenhui E
- College of Life Sciences, National Engineering Research Center for Efficient Utilization of Soil and Fertilizer Resources, Shandong Engineering Research Center of Plant-Microbia Restoration for Saline-Alkali Land, Shandong Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, 271018, China
| | - Dongying Zhao
- College of Life Sciences, National Engineering Research Center for Efficient Utilization of Soil and Fertilizer Resources, Shandong Engineering Research Center of Plant-Microbia Restoration for Saline-Alkali Land, Shandong Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, 271018, China
| | - Haiyang Liu
- College of Life Sciences, National Engineering Research Center for Efficient Utilization of Soil and Fertilizer Resources, Shandong Engineering Research Center of Plant-Microbia Restoration for Saline-Alkali Land, Shandong Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, 271018, China
| | - Jian Pei
- College of Life Sciences, National Engineering Research Center for Efficient Utilization of Soil and Fertilizer Resources, Shandong Engineering Research Center of Plant-Microbia Restoration for Saline-Alkali Land, Shandong Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, 271018, China
| | - Binghai Du
- College of Life Sciences, National Engineering Research Center for Efficient Utilization of Soil and Fertilizer Resources, Shandong Engineering Research Center of Plant-Microbia Restoration for Saline-Alkali Land, Shandong Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, 271018, China
| | - Kai Liu
- College of Life Sciences, National Engineering Research Center for Efficient Utilization of Soil and Fertilizer Resources, Shandong Engineering Research Center of Plant-Microbia Restoration for Saline-Alkali Land, Shandong Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, 271018, China
| | - Xueming Zhu
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Treats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-Products, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, 310021, China
| | - Chengqiang Wang
- College of Life Sciences, National Engineering Research Center for Efficient Utilization of Soil and Fertilizer Resources, Shandong Engineering Research Center of Plant-Microbia Restoration for Saline-Alkali Land, Shandong Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, 271018, China.
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2
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Patro M, Sivabalasarma S, Gfrerer S, Rodriguez-Franco M, Nußbaum P, Ithurbide S, Albers SV. MinD2 modulates cell shape and motility in the archaeon Haloferax volcanii. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.08.01.606218. [PMID: 39131313 PMCID: PMC11312570 DOI: 10.1101/2024.08.01.606218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/13/2024]
Abstract
In bacteria and archaea, proteins of the ParA/MinD family of ATPases regulate the spatiotemporal organization of various cellular cargoes, including cell division proteins, motility structures, chemotaxis systems, and chromosomes. In bacteria, such as Escherichia coli, MinD proteins are crucial for the correct placement of the Z-ring at mid-cell during cell division. However, previous studies have shown that none of the 4 MinD homologs present in the archaeon Haloferax volcanii have a role in cell division, suggesting that these proteins regulate different cellular processes in haloarchaea. Here, we show that while deletion of MinD2 in H. volcanii (ΔminD2) does not affect cell growth or division, it impacts cell shape and motility by mispositioning the chemotaxis arrays and archaellum motors. Finally, we explore the links between MinD2 and MinD4, which has been previously shown to modulate the localization of chemosensory arrays and archaella in H. volcanii, finding that the two MinD homologues have synergistic effects in regulating the positioning of the motility machinery. Collectively, our findings identify MinD2 as an important link between cell shape and motility in H. volcanii and further our understanding of the mechanisms by which multiple MinD proteins regulate cellular functions in haloarchaea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megha Patro
- Molecular Biology of Archaea, Institute of Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Spemann Graduate School of Biology and Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Shamphavi Sivabalasarma
- Molecular Biology of Archaea, Institute of Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Spemann Graduate School of Biology and Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Sabrina Gfrerer
- Molecular Biology of Archaea, Institute of Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Marta Rodriguez-Franco
- Cell Biology, Institute of Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestraße 1, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Phillip Nußbaum
- Molecular Biology of Archaea, Institute of Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Solenne Ithurbide
- Molecular Biology of Archaea, Institute of Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Sonja-Verena Albers
- Molecular Biology of Archaea, Institute of Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Signalling Research Centres BIOSS and CIBSS, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
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3
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Dornes A, Schmidt LM, Mais CN, Hook JC, Pané-Farré J, Kressler D, Thormann K, Bange G. Polar confinement of a macromolecular machine by an SRP-type GTPase. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5797. [PMID: 38987236 PMCID: PMC11236974 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50274-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2024] [Accepted: 07/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The basal structure of the bacterial flagellum includes a membrane embedded MS-ring (formed by multiple copies of FliF) and a cytoplasmic C-ring (composed of proteins FliG, FliM and FliN). The SRP-type GTPase FlhF is required for directing the initial flagellar protein FliF to the cell pole, but the mechanisms are unclear. Here, we show that FlhF anchors developing flagellar structures to the polar landmark protein HubP/FimV, thereby restricting their formation to the cell pole. Specifically, the GTPase domain of FlhF interacts with HubP, while a structured domain at the N-terminus of FlhF binds to FliG. FlhF-bound FliG subsequently engages with the MS-ring protein FliF. Thus, the interaction of FlhF with HubP and FliG recruits a FliF-FliG complex to the cell pole. In addition, the modulation of FlhF activity by the MinD-type ATPase FlhG controls the interaction of FliG with FliM-FliN, thereby regulating the progression of flagellar assembly at the pole.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anita Dornes
- Philipps-University Marburg, Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO) and Department of Chemistry, Hans-Meerwein-Strasse 6, C07, 35043, Marburg, Germany
| | - Lisa Marie Schmidt
- Justus-Liebig-Universität, Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26, 35392, Giessen, Germany
| | - Christopher-Nils Mais
- Philipps-University Marburg, Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO) and Department of Chemistry, Hans-Meerwein-Strasse 6, C07, 35043, Marburg, Germany
| | - John C Hook
- Justus-Liebig-Universität, Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26, 35392, Giessen, Germany
| | - Jan Pané-Farré
- Philipps-University Marburg, Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO) and Department of Chemistry, Hans-Meerwein-Strasse 6, C07, 35043, Marburg, Germany
| | - Dieter Kressler
- University of Fribourg, Department of Biology, Chemin du Musée 10, 1700, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Kai Thormann
- Justus-Liebig-Universität, Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26, 35392, Giessen, Germany.
| | - Gert Bange
- Philipps-University Marburg, Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO) and Department of Chemistry, Hans-Meerwein-Strasse 6, C07, 35043, Marburg, Germany.
- Max-Planck-Institute for terrestrial Microbiology, Molecular Physiology of Microbes, Karl-von-Frisch Strasse 14, 35043, Marburg, Germany.
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4
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Jara-Servin A, Mejia G, Romero MF, Peimbert M, Alcaraz LD. Unravelling the genomic and environmental diversity of the ubiquitous Solirubrobacter. Environ Microbiol 2024; 26:e16685. [PMID: 39147372 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 07/12/2024] [Indexed: 08/17/2024]
Abstract
Solirubrobacter, though widespread in soils and rhizospheres, has been relatively unexplored despite its ubiquity. Previously acknowledged as a common soil bacterium, our research explores its phylogenomics, pangenomics, environmental diversity, and interactions within bacterial communities. By analysing seven genomic sequences, we have identified a pangenome consisting of 19,645 protein families, of which 2644 are shared across all studied genomes, forming the core genome. Interestingly, despite the non-motility of reported isolates, we discovered genes for flagellin and a partial flagellum assembly pathway. Examining the 16S ribosomal RNA genes of Solirubrobacter revealed substantial diversity, with 3166 operational taxonomic units identified in Mexican soils. Co-occurrence network analysis further demonstrated its significant integration within bacterial communities. Through phylogenomic scrutiny, we conclusively excluded the NCBI's GCA_009993245.1 genome from being classified as a Solirubrobacter. Our research into the metagenomic diversity of Solirubrobacter across various environments confirmed its presence in rhizospheres and certain soils, underscoring its adaptability. The geographical ubiquity of Solirubrobacter in rhizospheres raises intriguing questions regarding its potential interactions with plant hosts and the biotic and abiotic factors influencing its presence in soil. Given its ecological significance and genetic diversity, Solirubrobacter warrants further investigation as a potentially crucial yet underappreciated keystone species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angélica Jara-Servin
- Laboratorio de Genómica Ambiental, Departamento de Biología Celular, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
- Posgrado en Ciencias Bioquímicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Gerardo Mejia
- Laboratorio de Genómica Ambiental, Departamento de Biología Celular, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
- Posgrado en Ciencias Bioquímicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Miguel F Romero
- DOE Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Mariana Peimbert
- Departamento de Ciencias Naturales, Unidad Cuajimalpa, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Luis David Alcaraz
- Laboratorio de Genómica Ambiental, Departamento de Biología Celular, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
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5
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Pulianmackal LT, Vecchiarelli AG. Positioning of cellular components by the ParA/MinD family of ATPases. Curr Opin Microbiol 2024; 79:102485. [PMID: 38723344 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2024.102485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2024] [Revised: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
The ParA/MinD (A/D) family of ATPases spatially organize an array of genetic- and protein-based cellular cargos across the bacterial and archaeal domains of life. By far, the two best-studied members, and family namesake, are ParA and MinD, involved in bacterial DNA segregation and divisome positioning, respectively. ParA and MinD make protein waves on the nucleoid or membrane to segregate chromosomes and position the divisome. Less studied is the growing list of A/D ATPases widespread across bacteria and implicated in the subcellular organization of diverse protein-based complexes and organelles involved in myriad biological processes, from metabolism to pathogenesis. Here we describe mechanistic commonality, variation, and coordination among the most widespread family of positioning ATPases used in the subcellular organization of disparate cargos across bacteria and archaea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa T Pulianmackal
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Anthony G Vecchiarelli
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
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6
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Dornes A, Mais CN, Bange G. Structure of the GDP-bound state of the SRP GTPase FlhF. Acta Crystallogr F Struct Biol Commun 2024; 80:53-58. [PMID: 38376823 PMCID: PMC10910532 DOI: 10.1107/s2053230x24000979] [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: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/27/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024] Open
Abstract
The GTPase FlhF, a signal recognition particle (SRP)-type enzyme, is pivotal for spatial-numerical control and bacterial flagella assembly across diverse species, including pathogens. This study presents the X-ray structure of FlhF in its GDP-bound state at a resolution of 2.28 Å. The structure exhibits the classical N- and G-domain fold, consistent with related SRP GTPases such as Ffh and FtsY. Comparative analysis with GTP-loaded FlhF elucidates the conformational changes associated with GTP hydrolysis. These topological reconfigurations are similarly evident in Ffh and FtsY, and play a pivotal role in regulating the functions of these hydrolases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anita Dornes
- Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO) and Department of Chemistry, University of Marburg, Karl-von-Frisch-Strasse 14, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Christopher-Nils Mais
- Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO) and Department of Chemistry, University of Marburg, Karl-von-Frisch-Strasse 14, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Gert Bange
- Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO) and Department of Chemistry, University of Marburg, Karl-von-Frisch-Strasse 14, 35043 Marburg, Germany
- Molecular Physiology of Microbes, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Karl-von-Frisch-Strasse 14, 35043 Marburg, Germany
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7
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Zamba-Campero M, Soliman D, Yu H, Lasseter AG, Chang YY, Liu J, Aravind L, Jewett MW, Storz G, Adams PP. Broadly conserved FlgV controls flagellar assembly and Borrelia burgdorferi dissemination in mice. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.09.574855. [PMID: 38260563 PMCID: PMC10802407 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.09.574855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Flagella propel pathogens through their environments yet are expensive to synthesize and are immunogenic. Thus, complex hierarchical regulatory networks control flagellar gene expression. Spirochetes are highly motile bacteria, but peculiarly in the Lyme spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi, the archetypal flagellar regulator σ28 is absent. We rediscovered gene bb0268 in B. burgdorferi as flgV, a broadly-conserved gene in the flagellar superoperon alongside σ28 in many Spirochaetes, Firmicutes and other phyla, with distant homologs in Epsilonproteobacteria. We found that B. burgdorferi FlgV is localized within flagellar motors. B. burgdorferi lacking flgV construct fewer and shorter flagellar filaments and are defective in cell division and motility. During the enzootic cycle, B. burgdorferi lacking flgV survive and replicate in Ixodes ticks but are attenuated for dissemination and infection in mice. Our work defines infection timepoints when spirochete motility is most crucial and implicates FlgV as a broadly distributed structural flagellar component that modulates flagellar assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxime Zamba-Campero
- Division of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Daniel Soliman
- Division of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Huaxin Yu
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06536, USA
- Microbial Sciences Institute, Yale University, West Haven, CT 06516, USA
| | - Amanda G. Lasseter
- Division of Immunity and Pathogenesis, Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Florida College of Medicine, Orlando, FL, 32827, USA
| | - Yuen-Yan Chang
- Division of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Jun Liu
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06536, USA
- Microbial Sciences Institute, Yale University, West Haven, CT 06516, USA
| | - L. Aravind
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20894, USA
| | - Mollie W. Jewett
- Division of Immunity and Pathogenesis, Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Florida College of Medicine, Orlando, FL, 32827, USA
| | - Gisela Storz
- Division of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Philip P. Adams
- Division of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
- Division of Immunity and Pathogenesis, Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Florida College of Medicine, Orlando, FL, 32827, USA
- Postdoctoral Research Associate Program, National Institute of General Medical Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
- Independent Research Scholar Program, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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8
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Botting JM, Tachiyama S, Gibson KH, Liu J, Starai VJ, Hoover TR. FlgV forms a flagellar motor ring that is required for optimal motility of Helicobacter pylori. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0287514. [PMID: 37976320 PMCID: PMC10655999 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0287514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Flagella-driven motility is essential for Helicobacter pylori to colonize the human stomach, where it causes a variety of diseases, including chronic gastritis, peptic ulcer disease, and gastric cancer. H. pylori has evolved a high-torque-generating flagellar motor that possesses several accessories not found in the archetypical Escherichia coli motor. FlgV was one of the first flagellar accessory proteins identified in Campylobacter jejuni, but its structure and function remain poorly understood. Here, we confirm that deletion of flgV in H. pylori B128 and a highly motile variant of H. pylori G27 (G27M) results in reduced motility in soft agar medium. Comparative analyses of in-situ flagellar motor structures of wild-type, ΔflgV, and a strain expressing FlgV-YFP showed that FlgV forms a ring-like structure closely associated with the junction of two highly conserved flagellar components: the MS and C rings. The results of our studies suggest that the FlgV ring has adapted specifically in Campylobacterota to support the assembly and efficient function of the high-torque-generating motors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack M. Botting
- Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Shoichi Tachiyama
- Microbial Sciences Institute, Yale University, West Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Katherine H. Gibson
- Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Jun Liu
- Microbial Sciences Institute, Yale University, West Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Vincent J. Starai
- Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Timothy R. Hoover
- Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
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9
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Herfurth M, Pérez-Burgos M, Søgaard-Andersen L. The mechanism for polar localization of the type IVa pilus machine in Myxococcus xanthus. mBio 2023; 14:e0159323. [PMID: 37754549 PMCID: PMC10653833 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01593-23] [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: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Type IVa pili (T4aP) are widespread bacterial cell surface structures with important functions in motility, surface adhesion, biofilm formation, and virulence. Different bacteria have adapted different piliation patterns. To address how these patterns are established, we focused on the bipolar localization of the T4aP machine in the model organism Myxococcus xanthus by studying the localization of the PilQ secretin, the first component of this machine that assembles at the poles. Based on experiments using a combination of fluorescence microscopy, biochemistry, and computational structural analysis, we propose that PilQ, and specifically its AMIN domains, binds septal and polar peptidoglycan, thereby enabling polar Tgl localization, which then stimulates PilQ multimerization in the outer membrane. We also propose that the presence and absence of AMIN domains in T4aP secretins contribute to the different piliation patterns across bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Herfurth
- Department of Ecophysiology, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
| | - María Pérez-Burgos
- Department of Ecophysiology, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
| | - Lotte Søgaard-Andersen
- Department of Ecophysiology, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
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10
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Gibson KH, Botting JM, Al-Otaibi N, Maitre K, Bergeron J, Starai VJ, Hoover TR. Control of the flagellation pattern in Helicobacter pylori by FlhF and FlhG. J Bacteriol 2023; 205:e0011023. [PMID: 37655916 PMCID: PMC10521351 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00110-23] [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: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023] Open
Abstract
FlhF and FlhG control the location and number of flagella, respectively, in many polar-flagellated bacteria. The roles of FlhF and FlhG are not well characterized in bacteria that have multiple polar flagella, such as Helicobacter pylori. Deleting flhG in H. pylori shifted the flagellation pattern where most cells had approximately four flagella to a wider and more even distribution in flagellar number. As reported in other bacteria, deleting flhF in H. pylori resulted in reduced motility, hypoflagellation, and the improper localization of flagella to nonpolar sites. Motile variants of H. pylori ∆flhF mutants that had a higher proportion of flagella localizing correctly to the cell pole were isolated, but we were unable to identify the genetic determinants responsible for the increased localization of flagella to the cell pole. One motile variant though produced more flagella than the ΔflhF parental strain, which apparently resulted from a missense mutation in fliF (encodes the MS ring protein), which changed Asn-255 to aspartate. Recombinant FliFN255D, but not recombinant wild-type FliF, formed ordered ring-like assemblies in vitro that were ~50 nm wide and displayed the MS ring architecture. We infer from these findings that the FliFN225D variant forms the MS ring more effectively in vivo in the absence of FlhF than wild-type FliF. IMPORTANCE Helicobacter pylori colonizes the human stomach where it can cause a variety of diseases, including peptic ulcer disease and gastric cancer. H. pylori uses flagella for motility, which is required for host colonization. FlhG and FlhF control the flagellation patterns in many bacteria. We found that in H. pylori, FlhG ensures that cells have approximately equal number of flagella and FlhF is needed for flagellum assembly and localization. FlhF is proposed to facilitate the assembly of FliF into the MS ring, which is one of the earliest structures formed in flagellum assembly. We identified a FliF variant that assembles the MS ring in the absence of FlhF, which supports the proposed role of FlhF in facilitating MS ring assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jack M. Botting
- Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Natalie Al-Otaibi
- Randall Division of Cell and Molecular Biophysics, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Kriti Maitre
- Randall Division of Cell and Molecular Biophysics, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Julien Bergeron
- Randall Division of Cell and Molecular Biophysics, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Vincent J. Starai
- Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Timothy R. Hoover
- Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
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11
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Pulianmackal LT, Limcaoco JMI, Ravi K, Yang S, Zhang J, Tran MK, Ghalmi M, O'Meara MJ, Vecchiarelli AG. Multiple ParA/MinD ATPases coordinate the positioning of disparate cargos in a bacterial cell. Nat Commun 2023; 14:3255. [PMID: 37277398 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39019-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023] Open
Abstract
In eukaryotes, linear motor proteins govern intracellular transport and organization. In bacteria, where linear motors involved in spatial regulation are absent, the ParA/MinD family of ATPases organize an array of genetic- and protein-based cellular cargos. The positioning of these cargos has been independently investigated to varying degrees in several bacterial species. However, it remains unclear how multiple ParA/MinD ATPases can coordinate the positioning of diverse cargos in the same cell. Here, we find that over a third of sequenced bacterial genomes encode multiple ParA/MinD ATPases. We identify an organism (Halothiobacillus neapolitanus) with seven ParA/MinD ATPases, demonstrate that five of these are each dedicated to the spatial regulation of a single cellular cargo, and define potential specificity determinants for each system. Furthermore, we show how these positioning reactions can influence each other, stressing the importance of understanding how organelle trafficking, chromosome segregation, and cell division are coordinated in bacterial cells. Together, our data show how multiple ParA/MinD ATPases coexist and function to position a diverse set of fundamental cargos in the same bacterial cell.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa T Pulianmackal
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Jose Miguel I Limcaoco
- Department of Computational Medicine & Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Keerthikka Ravi
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Sinyu Yang
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Jeffrey Zhang
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Mimi K Tran
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Maria Ghalmi
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Matthew J O'Meara
- Department of Computational Medicine & Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Anthony G Vecchiarelli
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
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12
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Nedeljković M, Kreutzberger MAB, Postel S, Bonsor D, Xing Y, Jacob N, Schuler WJ, Egelman EH, Sundberg EJ. An unbroken network of interactions connecting flagellin domains is required for motility in viscous environments. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1010979. [PMID: 37253071 PMCID: PMC10256154 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Revised: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023] Open
Abstract
In its simplest form, bacterial flagellar filaments are composed of flagellin proteins with just two helical inner domains, which together comprise the filament core. Although this minimal filament is sufficient to provide motility in many flagellated bacteria, most bacteria produce flagella composed of flagellin proteins with one or more outer domains arranged in a variety of supramolecular architectures radiating from the inner core. Flagellin outer domains are known to be involved in adhesion, proteolysis and immune evasion but have not been thought to be required for motility. Here we show that in the Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 strain, a bacterium that forms a ridged filament with a dimerization of its flagellin outer domains, motility is categorically dependent on these flagellin outer domains. Moreover, a comprehensive network of intermolecular interactions connecting the inner domains to the outer domains, the outer domains to one another, and the outer domains back to the inner domain filament core, is required for motility. This inter-domain connectivity confers PAO1 flagella with increased stability, essential for its motility in viscous environments. Additionally, we find that such ridged flagellar filaments are not unique to Pseudomonas but are, instead, present throughout diverse bacterial phyla.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marko Nedeljković
- Department of Biochemistry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Mark A. B. Kreutzberger
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Sandra Postel
- Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Daniel Bonsor
- Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Yingying Xing
- School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Neil Jacob
- Department of Biochemistry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - William J. Schuler
- Department of Biochemistry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Edward H. Egelman
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Eric J. Sundberg
- Department of Biochemistry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
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13
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Zhang X, Shi H, Tan N, Zhu M, Tan W, Daramola D, Gu T. Advances in bioleaching of waste lithium batteries under metal ion stress. BIORESOUR BIOPROCESS 2023; 10:19. [PMID: 38647921 PMCID: PMC10992134 DOI: 10.1186/s40643-023-00636-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
In modern societies, the accumulation of vast amounts of waste Li-ion batteries (WLIBs) is a grave concern. Bioleaching has great potential for the economic recovery of valuable metals from various electronic wastes. It has been successfully applied in mining on commercial scales. Bioleaching of WLIBs can not only recover valuable metals but also prevent environmental pollution. Many acidophilic microorganisms (APM) have been used in bioleaching of natural ores and urban mines. However, the activities of the growth and metabolism of APM are seriously inhibited by the high concentrations of heavy metal ions released by the bio-solubilization process, which slows down bioleaching over time. Only when the response mechanism of APM to harsh conditions is well understood, effective strategies to address this critical operational hurdle can be obtained. In this review, a multi-scale approach is used to summarize studies on the characteristics of bioleaching processes under metal ion stress. The response mechanisms of bacteria, including the mRNA expression levels of intracellular genes related to heavy metal ion resistance, are also reviewed. Alleviation of metal ion stress via addition of chemicals, such as spermine and glutathione is discussed. Monitoring using electrochemical characteristics of APM biofilms under metal ion stress is explored. In conclusion, effective engineering strategies can be proposed based on a deep understanding of the response mechanisms of APM to metal ion stress, which have been used to improve bioleaching efficiency effectively in lab tests. It is very important to engineer new bioleaching strains with high resistance to metal ions using gene editing and synthetic biotechnology in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China.
| | - Hongjie Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China
| | - Ningjie Tan
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China
| | - Minglong Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China
| | - Wensong Tan
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China
| | - Damilola Daramola
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Institute for Sustainable Energy and the Environment, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio, 45701, USA
| | - Tingyue Gu
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Institute for Sustainable Energy and the Environment, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio, 45701, USA.
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14
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Kühn MJ, Edelmann DB, Thormann KM. Polar flagellar wrapping and lateral flagella jointly contribute to Shewanella putrefaciens environmental spreading. Environ Microbiol 2022; 24:5911-5923. [PMID: 35722744 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Revised: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Flagella enable bacteria to actively spread within the environment. A number of species possess two separate flagellar systems, where in most cases a primary polar flagellar system is supported by distinct secondary lateral flagella under appropriate conditions. Using functional fluorescence tagging on one of these species, Shewanella putrefaciens, as a model system, we explored how two different flagellar systems can exhibit efficient joint function. The S. putrefaciens secondary flagellar filaments are composed as a mixture of two highly homologous non-glycosylated flagellins, FlaA2 and FlaB2 . Both are solely sufficient to form a functional filament, however, full spreading motility through soft agar requires both flagellins. During swimming, lateral flagella emerge from the cell surface at angles between 30° and 50°, and only filaments located close to the cell pole may form a bundle. Upon a directional shift from forward to backward swimming initiated by the main polar flagellum, the secondary filaments flip over and thus support propulsion into either direction. Lateral flagella do not inhibit the wrapping of the polar flagellum around the cell body at high load. Accordingly, screw thread-like motility mediated by the primary flagellum and activity of lateral flagella cumulatively supports spreading through constricted environments such as polysaccharide matrices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco J Kühn
- Institut für Mikrobiologie und Molekularbiologie, Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, Gießen, Germany.,Institute of Bioengineering and Global Health Institute, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Daniel B Edelmann
- Institut für Mikrobiologie und Molekularbiologie, Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, Gießen, Germany
| | - Kai M Thormann
- Institut für Mikrobiologie und Molekularbiologie, Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, Gießen, Germany
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15
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Schwan M, Khaledi A, Willger S, Papenfort K, Glatter T, Häußler S, Thormann KM. FlrA-independent production of flagellar proteins is required for proper flagellation in Shewanella putrefaciens. Mol Microbiol 2022; 118:670-682. [PMID: 36285560 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Revised: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Flagella are multiprotein complexes whose assembly and positioning require complex spatiotemporal control. Flagellar assembly is thought to be controlled by several transcriptional tiers, which are mediated through various master regulators. Here, we revisited the regulation of flagellar genes in polarly flagellated gammaproteobacteria by the regulators FlrA, RpoN (σ54 ) and FliA (σ28 ) in Shewanella putrefaciens CN-32 at the transcript and protein level. We found that a number of regulatory and structural proteins were present in the absence of the main regulators, suggesting that initiation of flagella assembly and motor activation relies on the abundance control of only a few structural key components that are required for the formation of the MS- and C-ring and the flagellar type III secretion system. We identified FlrA-independent promoters driving expression of the regulators of flagellar number and positioning, FlhF and FlhG. Reduction of the gene expression levels from these promoters resulted in the emergence of hyperflagellation. This finding indicates that basal expression is required to adjust the flagellar counter in Shewanella. This is adding a deeper layer to the regulation of flagellar synthesis and assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meike Schwan
- Institute of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Justus-Liebig-Universität, Giessen, Germany
| | - Ariane Khaledi
- Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Sven Willger
- Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Kai Papenfort
- Institute for Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | - Timo Glatter
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Marburg, Germany
| | - Susanne Häußler
- Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Kai M Thormann
- Institute of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Justus-Liebig-Universität, Giessen, Germany
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16
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Homma M, Takekawa N, Fujiwara K, Hao Y, Onoue Y, Kojima S. Formation of multiple flagella caused by a mutation of the flagellar rotor protein FliM in Vibrio alginolyticus. Genes Cells 2022; 27:568-578. [PMID: 35842835 DOI: 10.1111/gtc.12975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Revised: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Marine bacterium Vibrio alginolyticus forms a single flagellum at a cell pole. In Vibrio, two proteins (GTPase FlhF and ATPase FlhG) regulate the number of flagella. We previously isolated the NMB155 mutant that forms multiple flagella despite the absence of mutations in flhF and flhG. Whole-genome sequencing of NMB155 identified an E9K mutation in FliM that is a component of C-ring in the flagellar rotor. Mutations in FliM result in defects in flagellar formation (fla) and flagellar rotation (che or mot); however, there are a few reports indicating that FliM mutations increase the number of flagella. Here, we determined that the E9K mutation confers the multi-flagellar phenotype and also the che phenotype. The co-expression of wild-type FliM and FliM-E9K indicated that they were competitive in regard to determining the flagellar number. The ATPase activity of FlhG has been correlated with the number of flagella. We observed that the ATPase activity of FlhG was increased by the addition of FliM but not by the addition of FliM-E9K in vitro. This indicates that FliM interacts with FlhG to increase its ATPase activity, and the E9K mutation may inhibit this interaction. FliM may control the ATPase activity of FlhG to properly regulate the number of the polar flagellum at the cell pole. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michio Homma
- Division of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
| | - Norihiro Takekawa
- Department of Macromolecular Science, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Kazushi Fujiwara
- Division of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
| | - Yuxi Hao
- Division of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Onoue
- Division of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
| | - Seiji Kojima
- Division of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
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17
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Sobe RC, Gilbert C, Vo L, Alexandre G, Scharf BE. FliL and its paralog MotF have distinct roles in the stator activity of the Sinorhizobium meliloti flagellar motor. Mol Microbiol 2022; 118:223-243. [PMID: 35808893 PMCID: PMC9541039 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Revised: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The bacterial flagellum is a complex macromolecular machine that drives bacteria through diverse fluid environments. Although many components of the flagellar motor are conserved across species, the roles of FliL are numerous and species‐specific. Here, we have characterized an additional player required for flagellar motor function in Sinorhizobium meliloti, MotF, which we have identified as a FliL paralog. We performed a comparative analysis of MotF and FliL, identified interaction partners through bacterial two‐hybrid and pull‐down assays, and investigated their roles in motility and motor rotation. Both proteins form homooligomers, and interact with each other, and with the stator proteins MotA and MotB. The ∆motF mutant exhibits normal flagellation but its swimming behavior and flagellar motor activity are severely impaired and erratic. In contrast, the ∆fliL mutant is mostly aflagellate and nonmotile. Amino acid substitutions in cytoplasmic regions of MotA or disruption of the proton channel plug of MotB partially restored motor activity to the ∆motF but not the ∆fliL mutant. Altogether, our findings indicate that both, MotF and FliL, are essential for flagellar motor torque generation in S. meliloti. FliL may serve as a scaffold for stator integration into the motor, and MotF is required for proton channel modulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard C Sobe
- Department of Biological Sciences, Life Sciences I, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Crystal Gilbert
- Department of Biological Sciences, Life Sciences I, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Lam Vo
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, USA.,Present address: Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology and Physics, Yale Science Building, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Gladys Alexandre
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Birgit E Scharf
- Department of Biological Sciences, Life Sciences I, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
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18
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Armitage JP. Swimming Using a Unidirectionally Rotating, Single Stopping Flagellum in the Alpha Proteobacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:893524. [PMID: 35722353 PMCID: PMC9198570 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.893524] [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: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Rhodobacter sphaeroides has 2 flagellar operons, one, Fla2, encoding a polar tuft that is not expressed under laboratory conditions and a second, Fla1, encoding a single randomly positioned flagellum. This single flagellum, unlike the flagella of other species studied, only rotates in a counterclockwise direction. Long periods of smooth swimming are punctuated by short stops, caused by the binding of one of 3 competing CheY homologs to the motor. During a stop, the motor is locked, not freely rotating, and the flagellar filament changes conformation to a short wavelength, large amplitude structure, reforming into a driving helix when the motor restarts. The cell has been reoriented during the brief stop and the next period of smooth swimming is a new direction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith P Armitage
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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19
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Abstract
A huge number of bacterial species are motile by flagella, which allow them to actively move toward favorable environments and away from hazardous areas and to conquer new habitats. The general perception of flagellum-mediated movement and chemotaxis is dominated by the Escherichia coli paradigm, with its peritrichous flagellation and its famous run-and-tumble navigation pattern, which has shaped the view on how bacteria swim and navigate in chemical gradients. However, a significant amount-more likely the majority-of bacterial species exhibit a (bi)polar flagellar localization pattern instead of lateral flagella. Accordingly, these species have evolved very different mechanisms for navigation and chemotaxis. Here, we review the earlier and recent findings on the various modes of motility mediated by polar flagella. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Microbiology, Volume 76 is September 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai M Thormann
- Institute of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Justus Liebig University Gießen, Gießen, Germany;
| | - Carsten Beta
- Institute of Physics and Astronomy, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany;
| | - Marco J Kühn
- Institute of Bioengineering and Global Health Institute, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland;
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20
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Structural insights into the mechanism of archaellar rotational switching. Nat Commun 2022; 13:2857. [PMID: 35606361 PMCID: PMC9126983 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30358-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Signal transduction via phosphorylated CheY towards the flagellum and the archaellum involves a conserved mechanism of CheY phosphorylation and subsequent conformational changes within CheY. This mechanism is conserved among bacteria and archaea, despite substantial differences in the composition and architecture of archaellum and flagellum, respectively. Phosphorylated CheY has higher affinity towards the bacterial C-ring and its binding leads to conformational changes in the flagellar motor and subsequent rotational switching of the flagellum. In archaea, the adaptor protein CheF resides at the cytoplasmic face of the archaeal C-ring formed by the proteins ArlCDE and interacts with phosphorylated CheY. While the mechanism of CheY binding to the C-ring is well-studied in bacteria, the role of CheF in archaea remains enigmatic and mechanistic insights are absent. Here, we have determined the atomic structures of CheF alone and in complex with activated CheY by X-ray crystallography. CheF forms an elongated dimer with a twisted architecture. We show that CheY binds to the C-terminal tail domain of CheF leading to slight conformational changes within CheF. Our structural, biochemical and genetic analyses reveal the mechanistic basis for CheY binding to CheF and allow us to propose a model for rotational switching of the archaellum. Signal transduction via phosphorylated CheY is conserved in bacteria and archaea. In this study, the authors employ structural biochemistry combined with cell biology to delineate the mechanism of CheY recognition by the adaptor protein CheF.
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21
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Bremer E, Hoffmann T, Dempwolff F, Bedrunka P, Bange G. The many faces of the unusual biofilm activator RemA. Bioessays 2022; 44:e2200009. [PMID: 35289951 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202200009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Revised: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Biofilms can be viewed as tissue-like structures in which microorganisms are organized in a spatial and functional sophisticated manner. Biofilm formation requires the orchestration of a highly integrated network of regulatory proteins to establish cell differentiation and production of a complex extracellular matrix. Here, we discuss the role of the essential Bacillus subtilis biofilm activator RemA. Despite intense research on biofilms, RemA is a largely underappreciated regulatory protein. RemA forms donut-shaped octamers with the potential to assemble into dimeric superstructures. The presumed DNA-binding mode suggests that RemA organizes its target DNA into nucleosome-like structures, which are the basis for its role as transcriptional activator. We discuss how RemA affects gene expression in the context of biofilm formation, and its regulatory interplay with established components of the biofilm regulatory network, such as SinR, SinI, SlrR, and SlrA. We emphasize the additional role of RemA played in nitrogen metabolism and osmotic-stress adjustment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erhard Bremer
- Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO), Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Tamara Hoffmann
- Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO), Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Felix Dempwolff
- Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO), Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Patricia Bedrunka
- Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO), Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Gert Bange
- Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO), Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany.,Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
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22
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Mariano G, Faba-Rodriguez R, Bui S, Zhao W, Ross J, Tzokov SB, Bergeron JRC. Oligomerization of the FliF Domains Suggests a Coordinated Assembly of the Bacterial Flagellum MS Ring. Front Microbiol 2022; 12:781960. [PMID: 35087486 PMCID: PMC8786727 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.781960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The bacterial flagellum is a complex, self-assembling macromolecular machine that powers bacterial motility. It plays diverse roles in bacterial virulence, including aiding in colonization and dissemination during infection. The flagellum consists of a filamentous structure protruding from the cell, and of the basal body, a large assembly that spans the cell envelope. The basal body is comprised of over 20 different proteins forming several concentric ring structures, termed the M- S- L- P- and C-rings, respectively. In particular, the MS rings are formed by a single protein FliF, which consists of two trans-membrane helices anchoring it to the inner membrane and surrounding a large periplasmic domain. Assembly of the MS ring, through oligomerization of FliF, is one of the first steps of basal body assembly. Previous computational analysis had shown that the periplasmic region of FliF consists of three structurally similar domains, termed Ring-Building Motif (RBM)1, RBM2, and RBM3. The structure of the MS-ring has been reported recently, and unexpectedly shown that these three domains adopt different symmetries, with RBM3 having a 34-mer stoichiometry, while RBM2 adopts two distinct positions in the complex, including a 23-mer ring. This observation raises some important question on the assembly of the MS ring, and the formation of this symmetry mismatch within a single protein. In this study, we analyze the oligomerization of the individual RBM domains in isolation, in the Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium FliF ortholog. We demonstrate that the periplasmic domain of FliF assembles into the MS ring, in the absence of the trans-membrane helices. We also report that the RBM2 and RBM3 domains oligomerize into ring structures, but not RBM1. Intriguingly, we observe that a construct encompassing RBM1 and RBM2 is monomeric, suggesting that RBM1 interacts with RBM2, and inhibits its oligomerization. However, this inhibition is lifted by the addition of RBM3. Collectively, this data suggest a mechanism for the controlled assembly of the MS ring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppina Mariano
- Randall Division of Cell and Molecular Biophysics, King's College London, London, United Kingdom.,Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Raquel Faba-Rodriguez
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Soi Bui
- Randall Division of Cell and Molecular Biophysics, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Weilong Zhao
- Randall Division of Cell and Molecular Biophysics, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - James Ross
- Department of Biochemistry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Svetomir B Tzokov
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Julien R C Bergeron
- Randall Division of Cell and Molecular Biophysics, King's College London, London, United Kingdom.,Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
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23
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Investigating the role of BN-domains of FlhF involved in flagellar synthesis in Campylobacter jejuni. Microbiol Res 2021; 256:126944. [PMID: 34952396 DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2021.126944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Revised: 12/05/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
FlhF protein is critical for intact flagellar assembly in Campylobacter jejuni. It is a putative GTPase with B-, N- and G-domains. However, the role of the B- and N-domains in flagella biosynthesis remains unclear in C. jejuni. This study demonstrated that both the B- and N-domains are essential for flagellar synthesis, with the absence of B- and/or N-domains showing truncated variants of FlhF by TEM. Point mutations in the B- and N-domains (T13A, K159A, G231A) also induced flagella abnormalities. Furthermore, significant defects in GTPase activity and polar targeting of FlhF were triggered by point mutations of B- and N-domains. Flagella gene expression and transcription were also significantly disrupted in flhF(T13A), flhF(K159A) and flhF(G231A) strains. This study initially explored the effects of B- and N-domains on flagella synthesis. We speculated that B- and N-domains may directly or indirectly cause flagella abnormalities by affecting flagellar gene expression or GTPase activity, which helps us better understand the function of FlhF in flagella synthesis.
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Leal-Morales A, Pulido-Sánchez M, López-Sánchez A, Govantes F. Transcriptional organization and regulation of the Pseudomonas putida flagellar system. Environ Microbiol 2021; 24:137-157. [PMID: 34859548 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2021] [Revised: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
A single region of the Pseudomonas putida genome, designated the flagellar cluster, includes 59 genes potentially involved in the biogenesis and function of the flagellar system. Here, we combine bioinformatics and in vivo gene expression analyses to clarify the transcriptional organization and regulation of the flagellar genes in the cluster. We have identified 11 flagellar operons and characterized 22 primary and internal promoter regions. Our results indicate that synthesis of the flagellar apparatus and core chemotaxis machinery is regulated by a three-tier cascade in which fleQ is a Class I gene, standing at the top of the transcriptional hierarchy. FleQ- and σ54 -dependent Class II genes encode most components of the flagellar structure, part of the chemotaxis machinery and multiple regulatory elements, including the flagellar σ factor FliA. FliA activation of Class III genes enables synthesis of the filament, one stator complex and completion of the chemotaxis apparatus. Accessory regulatory proteins and an intricate operon architecture add complexity to the regulation by providing feedback and feed-forward loops to the main circuit. Because of the high conservation of the gene arrangement and promoter motifs, we believe that the regulatory circuit presented here may also apply to other environmental pseudomonads.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Leal-Morales
- Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo, Universidad Pablo de Olavide/Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas/Junta de Andalucía and Departamento de Biología Molecular e Ingeniería Bioquímica, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Marta Pulido-Sánchez
- Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo, Universidad Pablo de Olavide/Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas/Junta de Andalucía and Departamento de Biología Molecular e Ingeniería Bioquímica, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Aroa López-Sánchez
- Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo, Universidad Pablo de Olavide/Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas/Junta de Andalucía and Departamento de Biología Molecular e Ingeniería Bioquímica, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Fernando Govantes
- Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo, Universidad Pablo de Olavide/Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas/Junta de Andalucía and Departamento de Biología Molecular e Ingeniería Bioquímica, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Sevilla, Spain
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25
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Fule L, Halifa R, Fontana C, Sismeiro O, Legendre R, Varet H, Coppée JY, Murray GL, Adler B, Hendrixson DR, Buschiazzo A, Guo S, Liu J, Picardeau M. Role of the major determinant of polar flagellation FlhG in the endoflagella-containing spirochete Leptospira. Mol Microbiol 2021; 116:1392-1406. [PMID: 34657338 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Revised: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Spirochetes can be distinguished from other bacteria by their spiral-shaped morphology and subpolar periplasmic flagella. This study focused on FlhF and FlhG, which control the spatial and numerical regulation of flagella in many exoflagellated bacteria, in the spirochete Leptospira. In contrast to flhF which seems to be essential in Leptospira, we demonstrated that flhG- mutants in both the saprophyte L. biflexa and the pathogen L. interrogans were less motile than the wild-type strains in gel-like environments but not hyperflagellated as reported previously in other bacteria. Cryo-electron tomography revealed that the distance between the flagellar basal body and the tip of the cell decreased significantly in the flhG- mutant in comparison to wild-type and complemented strains. Additionally, comparative transcriptome analyses of L. biflexa flhG- and wild-type strains showed that FlhG acts as a negative regulator of transcription of some flagellar genes. We found that the L. interrogans flhG- mutant was attenuated for virulence in the hamster model. Cross-species complementation also showed that flhG is not interchangeable between species. Our results indicate that FlhF and FlhG in Leptospira contribute to governing cell motility but our data support the hypothesis that FlhF and FlhG function differently in each bacterial species, including among spirochetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lenka Fule
- Institut Pasteur, Biology of Spirochetes Unit, Paris, France
- Pasteur International Unit, Integrative Microbiology of Zoonotic Agents, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay/Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
- Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Ruben Halifa
- Institut Pasteur, Biology of Spirochetes Unit, Paris, France
| | - Celia Fontana
- Boehringer Ingelheim Santé Animale, Saint Priest, France
| | - Odile Sismeiro
- Transcriptome and Epigenome Platform, Biomics, Center for Technological Resources and Research (C2RT), Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Rachel Legendre
- Transcriptome and Epigenome Platform, Biomics, Center for Technological Resources and Research (C2RT), Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
- Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Hub, Department of Computational Biology, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Hugo Varet
- Transcriptome and Epigenome Platform, Biomics, Center for Technological Resources and Research (C2RT), Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
- Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Hub, Department of Computational Biology, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Jean-Yves Coppée
- Transcriptome and Epigenome Platform, Biomics, Center for Technological Resources and Research (C2RT), Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Gerald L Murray
- Infection and Immunity Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ben Adler
- Infection and Immunity Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - David R Hendrixson
- Department of Microbiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Alejandro Buschiazzo
- Pasteur International Unit, Integrative Microbiology of Zoonotic Agents, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay/Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
- Laboratory of Molecular and Structural Microbiology, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Shuaiqi Guo
- Microbial Sciences Institute & Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Jun Liu
- Microbial Sciences Institute & Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Mathieu Picardeau
- Institut Pasteur, Biology of Spirochetes Unit, Paris, France
- Pasteur International Unit, Integrative Microbiology of Zoonotic Agents, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay/Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
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Abstract
Bacteria have developed a large array of motility mechanisms to exploit available resources and environments. These mechanisms can be broadly classified into swimming in aqueous media and movement over solid surfaces. Swimming motility involves either the rotation of rigid helical filaments through the external medium or gyration of the cell body in response to the rotation of internal filaments. On surfaces, bacteria swarm collectively in a thin layer of fluid powered by the rotation of rigid helical filaments, they twitch by assembling and disassembling type IV pili, they glide by driving adhesins along tracks fixed to the cell surface and, finally, non-motile cells slide over surfaces in response to outward forces due to colony growth. Recent technological advances, especially in cryo-electron microscopy, have greatly improved our knowledge of the molecular machinery that powers the various forms of bacterial motility. In this Review, we describe the current understanding of the physical and molecular mechanisms that allow bacteria to move around.
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27
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Balhuizen MD, van Dijk A, Jansen JWA, van de Lest CHA, Veldhuizen EJA, Haagsman HP. Outer Membrane Vesicles Protect Gram-Negative Bacteria against Host Defense Peptides. mSphere 2021; 6:e0052321. [PMID: 34232080 PMCID: PMC8386409 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00523-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Host defense peptides (HDPs) are part of the innate immune system and constitute a first line of defense against invading pathogens. They possess antimicrobial activity against a broad spectrum of pathogens. However, pathogens have been known to adapt to hostile environments. Therefore, the bacterial response to treatment with HDPs was investigated. Previous observations suggested that sublethal concentrations of HDPs increase the release of outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) in Escherichia coli. First, the effects of sublethal treatment with HDPs CATH-2, PMAP-36, and LL-37 on OMV release of several Gram-negative bacteria were analyzed. Treatment with PMAP-36 and CATH-2 induced release of OMVs, but treatment with LL-37 did not. The OMVs were further characterized with respect to morphological properties. The HDP-induced OMVs often had disc-like shapes. The beneficial effect of bacterial OMV release was studied by determining the susceptibility of E. coli toward HDPs in the presence of OMVs. The minimal bactericidal concentration was increased in the presence of OMVs. It is concluded that OMV release is a means of bacteria to dispose of HDP-affected membrane. Furthermore, OMVs act as a decoy for HDPs and thereby protect the bacterium. IMPORTANCE Antibiotic resistance is a pressing problem and estimated to be a leading cause of mortality by 2050. Antimicrobial peptides, also known as host defense peptides (HDPs), and HDP-derived antimicrobials have potent antimicrobial activity and high potential as alternatives to antibiotics due to low resistance development. Some resistance mechanisms have developed in bacteria, and complete understanding of bacterial defense against HDPs will aid their use in the clinic. This study provides insight into outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) as potential defense mechanisms against HDPs, which will allow anticipation of unforeseen resistance to HDPs in clinical use and possibly prevention of bacterial resistance by the means of OMVs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie D. Balhuizen
- Section of Molecular Host Defence, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Albert van Dijk
- Section of Molecular Host Defence, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Jeroen W. A. Jansen
- Section of Cell Biology, Metabolism and Cancer, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Chris H. A. van de Lest
- Section of Cell Biology, Metabolism and Cancer, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Edwin J. A. Veldhuizen
- Section of Immunology, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Henk P. Haagsman
- Section of Molecular Host Defence, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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Bacterial Flagellar Filament: A Supramolecular Multifunctional Nanostructure. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22147521. [PMID: 34299141 PMCID: PMC8306008 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22147521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Revised: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 07/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The bacterial flagellum is a complex and dynamic nanomachine that propels bacteria through liquids. It consists of a basal body, a hook, and a long filament. The flagellar filament is composed of thousands of copies of the protein flagellin (FliC) arranged helically and ending with a filament cap composed of an oligomer of the protein FliD. The overall structure of the filament core is preserved across bacterial species, while the outer domains exhibit high variability, and in some cases are even completely absent. Flagellar assembly is a complex and energetically costly process triggered by environmental stimuli and, accordingly, highly regulated on transcriptional, translational and post-translational levels. Apart from its role in locomotion, the filament is critically important in several other aspects of bacterial survival, reproduction and pathogenicity, such as adhesion to surfaces, secretion of virulence factors and formation of biofilms. Additionally, due to its ability to provoke potent immune responses, flagellins have a role as adjuvants in vaccine development. In this review, we summarize the latest knowledge on the structure of flagellins, capping proteins and filaments, as well as their regulation and role during the colonization and infection of the host.
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29
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Bange G, Bedrunka P. Physiology of guanosine-based second messenger signaling in Bacillus subtilis. Biol Chem 2021; 401:1307-1322. [PMID: 32881708 DOI: 10.1515/hsz-2020-0241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 08/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The guanosine-based second messengers (p)ppGpp and c-di-GMP are key players of the physiological regulation of the Gram-positive model organism Bacillus subtilis. Their regulatory spectrum ranges from key metabolic processes over motility to biofilm formation. Here we review our mechanistic knowledge on their synthesis and degradation in response to environmental and stress signals as well as what is known on their cellular effectors and targets. Moreover, we discuss open questions and our gaps in knowledge on these two important second messengers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gert Bange
- Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO) and Department of Chemistry, Philipps-University Marburg, Hans-Meerwein-Strasse 6, C07, Marburg, D-35043,Germany
| | - Patricia Bedrunka
- Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO) and Department of Chemistry, Philipps-University Marburg, Hans-Meerwein-Strasse 6, C07, Marburg, D-35043,Germany
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30
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Velho Rodrigues MF, Lisicki M, Lauga E. The bank of swimming organisms at the micron scale (BOSO-Micro). PLoS One 2021; 16:e0252291. [PMID: 34111118 PMCID: PMC8191957 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0252291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Unicellular microscopic organisms living in aqueous environments outnumber all other creatures on Earth. A large proportion of them are able to self-propel in fluids with a vast diversity of swimming gaits and motility patterns. In this paper we present a biophysical survey of the available experimental data produced to date on the characteristics of motile behaviour in unicellular microswimmers. We assemble from the available literature empirical data on the motility of four broad categories of organisms: bacteria (and archaea), flagellated eukaryotes, spermatozoa and ciliates. Whenever possible, we gather the following biological, morphological, kinematic and dynamical parameters: species, geometry and size of the organisms, swimming speeds, actuation frequencies, actuation amplitudes, number of flagella and properties of the surrounding fluid. We then organise the data using the established fluid mechanics principles for propulsion at low Reynolds number. Specifically, we use theoretical biophysical models for the locomotion of cells within the same taxonomic groups of organisms as a means of rationalising the raw material we have assembled, while demonstrating the variability for organisms of different species within the same group. The material gathered in our work is an attempt to summarise the available experimental data in the field, providing a convenient and practical reference point for future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcos F. Velho Rodrigues
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Maciej Lisicki
- Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Eric Lauga
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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31
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Zhang M, He L, Jin X, Bai F, Tong M, Ni J. Flagella and Their Properties Affect the Transport and Deposition Behaviors of Escherichia coli in Quartz Sand. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2021; 55:4964-4973. [PMID: 33770437 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c08712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The effects of flagella and their properties on bacterial transport and deposition behaviors were examined by using four types of Escherichia coli (E. coli) with or without flagella, as well as with normal or sticky flagella. Packed column, quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation, visible parallel-plate flow chamber system, and visible flow chamber packed with porous media system were employed to investigate the deposition mechanisms of bacteria with different properties of flagella. We found that the presence of flagella favored E. coli deposition onto quartz sand/silica surfaces. Moreover, by changing the porous media porosity and directly observing the bacterial deposition process, local sites with high roughness, narrow flow channels, and grain-to-grain contacts were found to be the major sites for bacterial deposition. Particularly, flagella could help bacteria swim near and then deposit at these sites. In addition, we found that due to the stronger adhesive forces, sticky flagella could further enhance bacterial deposition onto quartz sand/silica surfaces. Elution experiments indicated that flagella could help bacteria attach onto sand surfaces more irreversibly. Clearly, flagella and their properties would have obvious impacts on the transport/deposition behaviors of bacteria in porous media.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengya Zhang
- The Key Laboratory of Water and Sediment Sciences, Ministry of Education, State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of All Material Fluxes in River Ecosystems, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, P. R. China
| | - Lei He
- The Key Laboratory of Water and Sediment Sciences, Ministry of Education, State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of All Material Fluxes in River Ecosystems, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, P. R. China
| | - Xin Jin
- Biomedical Pioneering Innovation Center, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, P. R. China
| | - Fan Bai
- Biomedical Pioneering Innovation Center, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, P. R. China
| | - Meiping Tong
- The Key Laboratory of Water and Sediment Sciences, Ministry of Education, State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of All Material Fluxes in River Ecosystems, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, P. R. China
| | - Jinren Ni
- The Key Laboratory of Water and Sediment Sciences, Ministry of Education, State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of All Material Fluxes in River Ecosystems, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, P. R. China
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32
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Zhou X, Roujeinikova A. The Structure, Composition, and Role of Periplasmic Stator Scaffolds in Polar Bacterial Flagellar Motors. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:639490. [PMID: 33776972 PMCID: PMC7990780 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.639490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2020] [Accepted: 02/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
In the bacterial flagellar motor, the cell-wall-anchored stator uses an electrochemical gradient across the cytoplasmic membrane to generate a turning force that is applied to the rotor connected to the flagellar filament. Existing theoretical concepts for the stator function are based on the assumption that it anchors around the rotor perimeter by binding to peptidoglycan (P). The existence of another anchoring region on the motor itself has been speculated upon, but is yet to be supported by binding studies. Due to the recent advances in electron cryotomography, evidence has emerged that polar flagellar motors contain substantial proteinaceous periplasmic structures next to the stator, without which the stator does not assemble and the motor does not function. These structures have a morphology of disks, as is the case with Vibrio spp., or a round cage, as is the case with Helicobacter pylori. It is now recognized that such additional periplasmic components are a common feature of polar flagellar motors, which sustain higher torque and greater swimming speeds compared to peritrichous bacteria such as Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica. This review summarizes the data available on the structure, composition, and role of the periplasmic scaffold in polar bacterial flagellar motors and discusses the new paradigm for how such motors assemble and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaotian Zhou
- Infection and Immunity Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia.,Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Anna Roujeinikova
- Infection and Immunity Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia.,Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
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33
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Arroyo-Pérez EE, Ringgaard S. Interdependent Polar Localization of FlhF and FlhG and Their Importance for Flagellum Formation of Vibrio parahaemolyticus. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:655239. [PMID: 33815347 PMCID: PMC8009987 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.655239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Failure of the cell to properly regulate the number and intracellular positioning of their flagella, has detrimental effects on the cells’ swimming ability. The flagellation pattern of numerous bacteria is regulated by the NTPases FlhF and FlhG. In general, FlhG controls the number of flagella produced, whereas FlhF coordinates the position of the flagella. In the human pathogen Vibrio parahaemolyticus, its single flagellum is positioned and formed at the old cell pole. Here, we describe the spatiotemporal localization of FlhF and FlhG in V. parahaemolyticus and their effect on swimming motility. Absence of either FlhF or FlhG caused a significant defect in swimming ability, resulting in absence of flagella in a ΔflhF mutant and an aberrant flagellated phenotype in ΔflhG. Both proteins localized to the cell pole in a cell cycle-dependent manner, but displayed different patterns of localization throughout the cell cycle. FlhF transitioned from a uni- to bi-polar localization, as observed in other polarly flagellated bacteria. Localization of FlhG was strictly dependent on the cell pole-determinant HubP, while polar localization of FlhF was HubP independent. Furthermore, localization of FlhF and FlhG was interdependent and required for each other’s proper intracellular localization and recruitment to the cell pole. In the absence of HubP or FlhF, FlhG forms non-polar foci in the cytoplasm of the cell, suggesting the possibility of a secondary localization site within the cell besides its recruitment to the cell poles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erick Eligio Arroyo-Pérez
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany.,Department of Biology I, Microbiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Simon Ringgaard
- Department of Biology I, Microbiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
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34
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Yu K, Stringlis IA, van Bentum S, de Jonge R, Snoek BL, Pieterse CMJ, Bakker PAHM, Berendsen RL. Transcriptome Signatures in Pseudomonas simiae WCS417 Shed Light on Role of Root-Secreted Coumarins in Arabidopsis-Mutualist Communication. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9030575. [PMID: 33799825 PMCID: PMC8000642 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9030575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Revised: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Pseudomonas simiae WCS417 is a root-colonizing bacterium with well-established plant-beneficial effects. Upon colonization of Arabidopsis roots, WCS417 evades local root immune responses while triggering an induced systemic resistance (ISR) in the leaves. The early onset of ISR in roots shows similarities with the iron deficiency response, as both responses are associated with the production and secretion of coumarins. Coumarins can mobilize iron from the soil environment and have a selective antimicrobial activity that impacts microbiome assembly in the rhizosphere. Being highly coumarin-tolerant, WCS417 induces the secretion of these phenolic compounds, likely to improve its own niche establishment, while providing growth and immunity benefits for the host in return. To investigate the possible signaling function of coumarins in the mutualistic Arabidopsis-WCS417 interaction, we analyzed the transcriptome of WCS417 growing in root exudates of coumarin-producing Arabidopsis Col-0 and the coumarin-biosynthesis mutant f6′h1. We found that coumarins in F6′H1-dependent root exudates significantly affected the expression of 439 bacterial genes (8% of the bacterial genome). Of those, genes with functions related to transport and metabolism of carbohydrates, amino acids, and nucleotides were induced, whereas genes with functions related to cell motility, the bacterial mobilome, and energy production and conversion were repressed. Strikingly, most genes related to flagellar biosynthesis were down-regulated by F6′H1-dependent root exudates and we found that application of selected coumarins reduces bacterial motility. These findings suggest that coumarins’ function in the rhizosphere as semiochemicals in the communication between the roots and WCS417. Collectively, our results provide important novel leads for future functional analysis of molecular processes in the establishment of plant-mutualist interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke Yu
- Plant-Microbe Interactions, Department of Biology, Science4Life, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht, The Netherlands; (K.Y.); (I.A.S.); (S.v.B.); (R.d.J.); (C.M.J.P.); (P.A.H.M.B.)
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Adaptation and Improvement, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China
| | - Ioannis A. Stringlis
- Plant-Microbe Interactions, Department of Biology, Science4Life, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht, The Netherlands; (K.Y.); (I.A.S.); (S.v.B.); (R.d.J.); (C.M.J.P.); (P.A.H.M.B.)
| | - Sietske van Bentum
- Plant-Microbe Interactions, Department of Biology, Science4Life, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht, The Netherlands; (K.Y.); (I.A.S.); (S.v.B.); (R.d.J.); (C.M.J.P.); (P.A.H.M.B.)
| | - Ronnie de Jonge
- Plant-Microbe Interactions, Department of Biology, Science4Life, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht, The Netherlands; (K.Y.); (I.A.S.); (S.v.B.); (R.d.J.); (C.M.J.P.); (P.A.H.M.B.)
- Department of Plant Systems Biology, VIB, Technologiepark 927, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Technologiepark 927, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Basten L. Snoek
- Theoretical Biology & Bioinformatics, Department of Biology, Science4Life, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht, The Netherlands;
| | - Corné M. J. Pieterse
- Plant-Microbe Interactions, Department of Biology, Science4Life, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht, The Netherlands; (K.Y.); (I.A.S.); (S.v.B.); (R.d.J.); (C.M.J.P.); (P.A.H.M.B.)
| | - Peter A. H. M. Bakker
- Plant-Microbe Interactions, Department of Biology, Science4Life, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht, The Netherlands; (K.Y.); (I.A.S.); (S.v.B.); (R.d.J.); (C.M.J.P.); (P.A.H.M.B.)
| | - Roeland L. Berendsen
- Plant-Microbe Interactions, Department of Biology, Science4Life, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht, The Netherlands; (K.Y.); (I.A.S.); (S.v.B.); (R.d.J.); (C.M.J.P.); (P.A.H.M.B.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +31-3025-36860
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Clopés J, Winkler RG. Flagellar arrangements in elongated peritrichous bacteria: bundle formation and swimming properties. THE EUROPEAN PHYSICAL JOURNAL. E, SOFT MATTER 2021; 44:17. [PMID: 33683543 PMCID: PMC7940165 DOI: 10.1140/epje/s10189-021-00027-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
The surface distribution of flagella in peritrichous bacterial cells has been traditionally assumed to be random. Recently, the presence of a regular grid-like pattern of basal bodies has been suggested. Experimentally, the manipulation of the anchoring points of flagella in the cell membrane is difficult, and thus, elucidation of the consequences of a particular pattern on bacterial locomotion is challenging. We analyze the bundle formation process and swimming properties of Bacillus subtilis-like cells considering random, helical, and ring-like arrangements of flagella by means of mesoscale hydrodynamics simulations. Helical and ring patterns preferentially yield configurations with a single bundle, whereas configurations with no clear bundles are most likely for random anchoring. For any type of pattern, there is an almost equally low probability to form V-shaped bundle configurations with at least two bundles. Variation of the flagellum length yields a clear preference for a single major bundle in helical and ring patterns as soon as the flagellum length exceeds the body length. The average swimming speed of cells with a single or two bundles is rather similar, and approximately [Formula: see text] larger than that of cells of other types of flagellar organization. Considering the various anchoring patterns, rings yield the smallest average swimming speed independent of the type of bundle, followed by helical arrangements, and largest speeds are observed for random anchoring. Hence, a regular pattern provides no advantage in terms of swimming speed compared to random anchoring of flagella, but yields more likely single-bundle configurations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judit Clopés
- Theoretical Physics of Living Matter, Institute of Biological Information Processing and Institute for Advanced Simulation, Forschungszentrum Jülich and JARA, 52425, Jülich, Germany
- Institute for Theoretical Physics, RWTH Aachen University, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Roland G Winkler
- Theoretical Physics of Living Matter, Institute of Biological Information Processing and Institute for Advanced Simulation, Forschungszentrum Jülich and JARA, 52425, Jülich, Germany.
- Institute for Theoretical Physics, RWTH Aachen University, 52074, Aachen, Germany.
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36
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Milne-Davies B, Wimmi S, Diepold A. Adaptivity and dynamics in type III secretion systems. Mol Microbiol 2020; 115:395-411. [PMID: 33251695 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Revised: 11/17/2020] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The type III secretion system is the common core of two bacterial molecular machines: the flagellum and the injectisome. The flagellum is the most widely distributed prokaryotic locomotion device, whereas the injectisome is a syringe-like apparatus for inter-kingdom protein translocation, which is essential for virulence in important human pathogens. The successful concept of the type III secretion system has been modified for different bacterial needs. It can be adapted to changing conditions, and was found to be a dynamic complex constantly exchanging components. In this review, we highlight the flexibility, adaptivity, and dynamic nature of the type III secretion system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bailey Milne-Davies
- Department of Ecophysiology, Max-Planck-Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
| | - Stephan Wimmi
- Department of Ecophysiology, Max-Planck-Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
| | - Andreas Diepold
- Department of Ecophysiology, Max-Planck-Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
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37
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Bacterial Flagellum versus Carbon Nanotube: A Review Article on the Potential of Bacterial Flagellum as a Sustainable and Green Substance for the Synthesis of Nanotubes. SUSTAINABILITY 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/su13010021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Bacterial flagella are complex multicomponent structures that help in cell locomotion. It is composed of three major structural components: the hook, the filament and basal body. The special mechanical properties of flagellar components make them useful for the applications in nanotechnology especially in nanotube formation. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are nanometer scale tube-shaped material and it is very useful in many applications. However, the production of CNTs is costly and detrimental to the environment as it pollutes the environment. Therefore, bacterial flagella have become a highly interesting research area especially in producing bacterial nanotubes that could replace CNTs. In this review article, we will discuss about bacterial flagellum and carbon nanotubes in the context of their types and applications. Then, we will focus and review on the characteristics of bacterial flagellum in comparison to carbon nanotubes and subsequently, the advantages of bacterial flagellum as nanotubes in comparison with carbon nanotubes.
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38
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Hook JC, Blagotinsek V, Pané-Farré J, Mrusek D, Altegoer F, Dornes A, Schwan M, Schier L, Thormann KM, Bange G. A Proline-Rich Element in the Type III Secretion Protein FlhB Contributes to Flagellar Biogenesis in the Beta- and Gamma-Proteobacteria. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:564161. [PMID: 33384667 PMCID: PMC7771051 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.564161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Flagella are bacterial organelles of locomotion. Their biogenesis is highly coordinated in time and space and relies on a specialized flagellar type III secretion system (fT3SS) required for the assembly of the extracellular hook, rod, and filament parts of this complex motor device. The fT3SS protein FlhB switches secretion substrate specificity once the growing hook reaches its determined length. Here we present the crystal structure of the cytoplasmic domain of the transmembrane protein FlhB. The structure visualizes a so-far unseen proline-rich region (PRR) at the very C-terminus of the protein. Strains lacking the PRR show a decrease in flagellation as determined by hook- and filament staining, indicating a role of the PRR during assembly of the hook and filament structures. Phylogenetic analysis shows that the PRR is a primary feature of FlhB proteins of flagellated beta- and gamma-proteobacteria. Taken together, our study adds another layer of complexity and organismic diversity to the process of flagella biogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- John C Hook
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Justus-Liebig-Universität, Giessen, Germany
| | - Vitan Blagotinsek
- SYNMIKRO Research Center, Department of Chemistry, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Jan Pané-Farré
- SYNMIKRO Research Center, Department of Chemistry, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Devid Mrusek
- SYNMIKRO Research Center, Department of Chemistry, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Florian Altegoer
- SYNMIKRO Research Center, Department of Chemistry, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Anita Dornes
- SYNMIKRO Research Center, Department of Chemistry, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Meike Schwan
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Justus-Liebig-Universität, Giessen, Germany
| | - Lukas Schier
- SYNMIKRO Research Center, Department of Chemistry, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Kai M Thormann
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Justus-Liebig-Universität, Giessen, Germany
| | - Gert Bange
- SYNMIKRO Research Center, Department of Chemistry, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
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Nußbaum P, Ithurbide S, Walsh JC, Patro M, Delpech F, Rodriguez-Franco M, Curmi PMG, Duggin IG, Quax TEF, Albers SV. An Oscillating MinD Protein Determines the Cellular Positioning of the Motility Machinery in Archaea. Curr Biol 2020; 30:4956-4972.e4. [PMID: 33125862 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.09.073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2020] [Revised: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
MinD proteins are well studied in rod-shaped bacteria such as E. coli, where they display self-organized pole-to-pole oscillations that are important for correct positioning of the Z-ring at mid-cell for cell division. Archaea also encode proteins belonging to the MinD family, but their functions are unknown. MinD homologous proteins were found to be widespread in Euryarchaeota and form a sister group to the bacterial MinD family, distinct from the ParA and other related ATPase families. We aimed to identify the function of four archaeal MinD proteins in the model archaeon Haloferax volcanii. Deletion of the minD genes did not cause cell division or size defects, and the Z-ring was still correctly positioned. Instead, one of the deletions (ΔminD4) reduced swimming motility and hampered the correct formation of motility machinery at the cell poles. In ΔminD4 cells, there is reduced formation of the motility structure and chemosensory arrays, which are essential for signal transduction. In bacteria, several members of the ParA family can position the motility structure and chemosensory arrays via binding to a landmark protein, and consequently these proteins do not oscillate along the cell axis. However, GFP-MinD4 displayed pole-to-pole oscillation and formed polar patches or foci in H. volcanii. The MinD4 membrane-targeting sequence (MTS), homologous to the bacterial MinD MTS, was essential for the oscillation. Surprisingly, mutant MinD4 proteins failed to form polar patches. Thus, MinD4 from H. volcanii combines traits of different bacterial ParA/MinD proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phillip Nußbaum
- Molecular Biology of Archaea, Institute of Biology II, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestrasse 1, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Solenne Ithurbide
- The ithree institute, University of Technology, Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - James C Walsh
- EMBL Australia Node in Single Molecule Science and ARC Centre of Excellence in Advanced Molecular Imaging, School of Medical Sciences, UNSW Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Megha Patro
- Molecular Biology of Archaea, Institute of Biology II, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestrasse 1, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Floriane Delpech
- Molecular Biology of Archaea, Institute of Biology II, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestrasse 1, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Marta Rodriguez-Franco
- Cell Biology, Institute of Biology II, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestraße 1, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Paul M G Curmi
- School of Physics, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Iain G Duggin
- The ithree institute, University of Technology, Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia.
| | - Tessa E F Quax
- Archaeal Virus-Host Interactions, Institute of Biology II, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestrasse 1, 79104 Freiburg, Germany.
| | - Sonja-Verena Albers
- Molecular Biology of Archaea, Institute of Biology II, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestrasse 1, 79104 Freiburg, Germany.
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Jeong EL, Broad S, Moody R, Phillips-Jones M. The adherence-associated Fdp fasciclin I domain protein of the biohydrogen producer Rhodobacter sphaeroides is regulated by the global Prr pathway. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYDROGEN ENERGY 2020; 45:26840-26854. [PMID: 33093750 PMCID: PMC7561615 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2020.07.108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2019] [Revised: 07/07/2020] [Accepted: 07/12/2020] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Expression of fdp, encoding a fasciclin I domain protein important for adherence in the hydrogen-producing bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides, was investigated under a range of conditions to gain insights into optimization of adherence for immobilization strategies suitable for H2 production. The fdp promoter was linked to a lacZ reporter and expressed in wild type and in PRRB and PRRA mutant strains of the Prr regulatory pathway. Expression was significantly negatively regulated by Prr under all conditions of aerobiosis tested including anaerobic conditions (required for H2 production), and aerobically regardless of growth phase, growth medium complexity or composition, carbon source, heat and cold shock and dark/light conditions. Negative fdp regulation by Prr was reflected in cellular levels of translated Fdp protein. Since Prr is required directly for nitrogenase expression, we propose optimization of Fdp-based adherence in R. sphaeroides for immobilized biohydrogen production by inactivation of the PrrA binding site(s) upstream of fdp.
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Affiliation(s)
- E.-L. Jeong
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - S.J. Broad
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - R.G. Moody
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
- Department of Molecular Biology & Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, United Kingdom
| | - M.K. Phillips-Jones
- National Centre for Macromolecular Hydrodynamics, School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, Leicestershire, LE12 5RD, United Kingdom
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41
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De Maayer P, Pillay T, Coutinho TA. Flagella by numbers: comparative genomic analysis of the supernumerary flagellar systems among the Enterobacterales. BMC Genomics 2020; 21:670. [PMID: 32993503 PMCID: PMC7526173 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-020-07085-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2020] [Accepted: 09/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Flagellar motility is an efficient means of movement that allows bacteria to successfully colonize and compete with other microorganisms within their respective environments. The production and functioning of flagella is highly energy intensive and therefore flagellar motility is a tightly regulated process. Despite this, some bacteria have been observed to possess multiple flagellar systems which allow distinct forms of motility. Results Comparative genomic analyses showed that, in addition to the previously identified primary peritrichous (flag-1) and secondary, lateral (flag-2) flagellar loci, three novel types of flagellar loci, varying in both gene content and gene order, are encoded on the genomes of members of the order Enterobacterales. The flag-3 and flag-4 loci encode predicted peritrichous flagellar systems while the flag-5 locus encodes a polar flagellum. In total, 798/4028 (~ 20%) of the studied taxa incorporate dual flagellar systems, while nineteen taxa incorporate three distinct flagellar loci. Phylogenetic analyses indicate the complex evolutionary histories of the flagellar systems among the Enterobacterales. Conclusions Supernumerary flagellar loci are relatively common features across a broad taxonomic spectrum in the order Enterobacterales. Here, we report the occurrence of five (flag-1 to flag-5) flagellar loci on the genomes of enterobacterial taxa, as well as the occurrence of three flagellar systems in select members of the Enterobacterales. Considering the energetic burden of maintaining and operating multiple flagellar systems, they are likely to play a role in the ecological success of members of this family and we postulate on their potential biological functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pieter De Maayer
- School of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of the Witwatersrand, Wits, 2050, South Africa.
| | - Talia Pillay
- School of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of the Witwatersrand, Wits, 2050, South Africa
| | - Teresa A Coutinho
- Centre for Microbial Ecology and Genomics, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0002, South Africa
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42
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Hu W, Feng S, Tong Y, Zhang H, Yang H. Adaptive defensive mechanism of bioleaching microorganisms under extremely environmental acid stress: Advances and perspectives. Biotechnol Adv 2020; 42:107580. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2020.107580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2020] [Revised: 05/26/2020] [Accepted: 06/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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43
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An ATP-dependent partner switch links flagellar C-ring assembly with gene expression. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:20826-20835. [PMID: 32788349 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2006470117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial flagella differ in their number and spatial arrangement. In many species, the MinD-type ATPase FlhG (also YlxH/FleN) is central to the numerical control of bacterial flagella, and its deletion in polarly flagellated bacteria typically leads to hyperflagellation. The molecular mechanism underlying this numerical control, however, remains enigmatic. Using the model species Shewanella putrefaciens, we show that FlhG links assembly of the flagellar C ring with the action of the master transcriptional regulator FlrA (named FleQ in other species). While FlrA and the flagellar C-ring protein FliM have an overlapping binding site on FlhG, their binding depends on the ATP-dependent dimerization state of FlhG. FliM interacts with FlhG independent of nucleotide binding, while FlrA exclusively interacts with the ATP-dependent FlhG dimer and stimulates FlhG ATPase activity. Our in vivo analysis of FlhG partner switching between FliM and FlrA reveals its mechanism in the numerical restriction of flagella, in which the transcriptional activity of FlrA is down-regulated through a negative feedback loop. Our study demonstrates another level of regulatory complexity underlying the spationumerical regulation of flagellar biogenesis and implies that flagellar assembly transcriptionally regulates the production of more initial building blocks.
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44
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Mazzantini D, Fonnesu R, Celandroni F, Calvigioni M, Vecchione A, Mrusek D, Bange G, Ghelardi E. GTP-Dependent FlhF Homodimer Supports Secretion of a Hemolysin in Bacillus cereus. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:879. [PMID: 32435240 PMCID: PMC7218170 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.00879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Accepted: 04/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The multidomain (B-NG) protein FlhF, a flagellar biogenesis regulator in several bacteria, is the third paralog of the signal recognition particle (SRP)-GTPases Ffh and FtsY, which are known to drive protein-delivery to the plasma membrane. Previously, we showed that FlhF is required for Bacillus cereus pathogenicity in an insect model of infection, being essential for physiological peritrichous flagellation, for motility, and for the secretion of virulence proteins. Among these proteins, we found that the L2 component of hemolysin BL, one of the most powerful toxins B. cereus produces, was drastically reduced by the FlhF depletion. Herein, we demonstrate that B. cereus FlhF forms GTP-dependent homodimers in vivo since the replacement of residues critical for their GTP-dependent homodimerization alters this ability. The protein directly or indirectly controls flagellation by affecting flagellin-gene transcription and its overproduction leads to a hyperflagellated phenotype. On the other hand, FlhF does not affect the expression of the L2-encoding gene (hblC), but physically binds L2 when in its homodimeric form, recruiting the protein to the plasma membrane for secretion. We additionally show that FlhF overproduction increases L2 secretion and that the FlhF/L2 interaction requires the NG domain of FlhF. Our findings demonstrate the peculiar behavior of B. cereus FlhF, which is required for the correct flagellar pattern and acts as SRP-GTPase in the secretion of a bacterial toxin subunit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diletta Mazzantini
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Rossella Fonnesu
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Francesco Celandroni
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Marco Calvigioni
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Alessandra Vecchione
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Devid Mrusek
- Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO) and Department of Chemistry, Philipps University, Marburg, Germany
| | - Gert Bange
- Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO) and Department of Chemistry, Philipps University, Marburg, Germany
| | - Emilia Ghelardi
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
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45
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Yang RS, Chen YT. Flagellation of Shewanella oneidensis Impacts Bacterial Fitness in Different Environments. Curr Microbiol 2020; 77:1790-1799. [PMID: 32328750 DOI: 10.1007/s00284-020-01999-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2019] [Accepted: 04/15/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Flagella occur on many prokaryotes, which primarily propel cells to move from detrimental to favorable environments. A variety of species-specific flagellation patterns have been identified. Although it is presumed that for each of these flagellated microorganisms, an evolutionarily fixed flagellation pattern is favored under the normal living conditions, direct evidence is lacking. Here, we use Shewanella oneidensis, a rod-shaped Gram-negative bacterium with a monotrichous polar flagellum (MR-1, the wild-type), as a research model. The investigation has been enabled by multiple mutants with diverse flagellation patterns that had been generated by removing FlhF and FlhG proteins that control flagellar location and number, respectively. Growth assays, as a measure of fitness, revealed that the wild-type strain predominated in spreading on swim plates and in pellicles which form at the air-liquid interface. However, under the pellicles where oxygen is limited, both aflagellated and monotrichous lateral strains showed similar increase in fitness, whereas strains with multiple flagella were less competitive. Moreover, under shaking culturing conditions, the aflagellated strain outcompeted all other strains, including the wild-type, suggesting that cells devoid of flagella would be more likely enriched upon agitation. Overall, these data support the presumption that the monotrichous polar flagellum, as evolutionarily fixed in the wild-type strain, is optimal for the growth fitness of S. oneidensis over any other mutants under most test conditions. However, upon specific changes of environmental conditions, another form could come to predominate. These findings provide insight into the impacts of flagellation patterns and function on bacterial adaptation to differing environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ri-Sheng Yang
- Microbiology and Immunology Laboratory, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, 548 Binwen Road, Hangzhou, 310053, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yi-Tao Chen
- Microbiology and Immunology Laboratory, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, 548 Binwen Road, Hangzhou, 310053, Zhejiang, China.
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46
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Regulation of the Single Polar Flagellar Biogenesis. Biomolecules 2020; 10:biom10040533. [PMID: 32244780 PMCID: PMC7226244 DOI: 10.3390/biom10040533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2020] [Revised: 03/30/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Some bacterial species, such as the marine bacterium Vibrio alginolyticus, have a single polar flagellum that allows it to swim in liquid environments. Two regulators, FlhF and FlhG, function antagonistically to generate only one flagellum at the cell pole. FlhF, a signal recognition particle (SRP)-type guanosine triphosphate (GTP)ase, works as a positive regulator for flagellar biogenesis and determines the location of flagellar assembly at the pole, whereas FlhG, a MinD-type ATPase, works as a negative regulator that inhibits flagellar formation. FlhF intrinsically localizes at the cell pole, and guanosine triphosphate (GTP) binding to FlhF is critical for its polar localization and flagellation. FlhG also localizes at the cell pole via the polar landmark protein HubP to directly inhibit FlhF function at the cell pole, and this localization depends on ATP binding to FlhG. However, the detailed regulatory mechanisms involved, played by FlhF and FlhG as the major factors, remain largely unknown. This article reviews recent studies that highlight the post-translational regulation mechanism that allows the synthesis of only a single flagellum at the cell pole.
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47
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Li X, Ren F, Cai G, Huang P, Chai Q, Gundogdu O, Jiao X, Huang J. Investigating the Role of FlhF Identifies Novel Interactions With Genes Involved in Flagellar Synthesis in Campylobacter jejuni. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:460. [PMID: 32265885 PMCID: PMC7105676 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.00460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2019] [Accepted: 03/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
FlhF is a key protein required for complete flagellar synthesis, and its deletion results in the complete absence of a flagella and thus motility in Campylobacter jejuni. However, the specific mechanism still remains unknown. In this study, RNA-Seq, EMSAs, ChIP-qPCR and β-Galactosidase assays were performed to elucidate the novel interactions between FlhF and genes involved in flagellar synthesis. Results showed that FlhF has an overall influence on the transcription of flagellar genes with an flhF mutant displaying down-regulation of most flagellar related genes. FlhF can directly bind to the flgI promoter to regulate its expression, which has significant expression change in an flhF mutant. The possible binding site of FlhF to the flgI promoter was explored by continuously narrowing the flgI promoter region and performing further point mutations. Meanwhile, FlhF can directly bind to the promoters of rpoD, flgS, and fliA encoding early flagellin regulators, thereby directly or indirectly regulating the synthesis of class I, II, and III flagellar genes, respectively. Collectively, this study demonstrates that FlhF may directly regulate the transcription of flagellar genes by binding to their promoters as a transcriptional regulator, which will be helpful in understanding the mechanism of FlhF in flagellar biosynthetic and bacterial flagellation in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaofei Li
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Fangzhe Ren
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Guoqiang Cai
- Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control of Biological Hazard Factors (Animal Origin) for Agrifood Safety and Quality, Ministry of Agriculture of China, Yangzhou, China
| | - Pingyu Huang
- Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control of Biological Hazard Factors (Animal Origin) for Agrifood Safety and Quality, Ministry of Agriculture of China, Yangzhou, China
| | - Qinwen Chai
- Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control of Biological Hazard Factors (Animal Origin) for Agrifood Safety and Quality, Ministry of Agriculture of China, Yangzhou, China
| | - Ozan Gundogdu
- Department of Infection Biology, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Xinan Jiao
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-product Safety, Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou, China
| | - Jinlin Huang
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-product Safety, Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou, China
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Beeby M, Ferreira JL, Tripp P, Albers SV, Mitchell DR. Propulsive nanomachines: the convergent evolution of archaella, flagella and cilia. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2020; 44:253-304. [DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuaa006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2019] [Accepted: 03/06/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Echoing the repeated convergent evolution of flight and vision in large eukaryotes, propulsive swimming motility has evolved independently in microbes in each of the three domains of life. Filamentous appendages – archaella in Archaea, flagella in Bacteria and cilia in Eukaryotes – wave, whip or rotate to propel microbes, overcoming diffusion and enabling colonization of new environments. The implementations of the three propulsive nanomachines are distinct, however: archaella and flagella rotate, while cilia beat or wave; flagella and cilia assemble at their tips, while archaella assemble at their base; archaella and cilia use ATP for motility, while flagella use ion-motive force. These underlying differences reflect the tinkering required to evolve a molecular machine, in which pre-existing machines in the appropriate contexts were iteratively co-opted for new functions and whose origins are reflected in their resultant mechanisms. Contemporary homologies suggest that archaella evolved from a non-rotary pilus, flagella from a non-rotary appendage or secretion system, and cilia from a passive sensory structure. Here, we review the structure, assembly, mechanism and homologies of the three distinct solutions as a foundation to better understand how propulsive nanomachines evolved three times independently and to highlight principles of molecular evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgan Beeby
- Department of Life Sciences, Frankland Road, Imperial College of London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Josie L Ferreira
- Department of Life Sciences, Frankland Road, Imperial College of London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Patrick Tripp
- Molecular Biology of Archaea, Institute of Biology, University of Freiburg, Schaenzlestrasse 1, 79211 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Sonja-Verena Albers
- Molecular Biology of Archaea, Institute of Biology, University of Freiburg, Schaenzlestrasse 1, 79211 Freiburg, Germany
| | - David R Mitchell
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, 750 E. Adams St., Syracuse, NY 13210, USA
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A Polar Flagellar Transcriptional Program Mediated by Diverse Two-Component Signal Transduction Systems and Basal Flagellar Proteins Is Broadly Conserved in Polar Flagellates. mBio 2020; 11:mBio.03107-19. [PMID: 32127455 PMCID: PMC7064773 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03107-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Relative to peritrichous bacteria, polar flagellates possess regulatory systems that order flagellar gene transcription differently and produce flagella in specific numbers only at poles. How transcriptional and flagellar biogenesis regulatory systems are interlinked to promote the correct synthesis of polar flagella in diverse species has largely been unexplored. We found evidence for many Gram-negative polar flagellates encoding two-component signal transduction systems with activity linked to the formation of flagellar type III secretion systems to enable production of flagellar rod and hook proteins at a discrete, subsequent stage during flagellar assembly. This polar flagellar transcriptional program assists, in some manner, the FlhF/FlhG flagellar biogenesis regulatory system, which forms specific flagellation patterns in polar flagellates in maintaining flagellation and motility when activity of FlhF or FlhG might be altered. Our work provides insight into the multiple regulatory processes required for polar flagellation. Bacterial flagella are rotating nanomachines required for motility. Flagellar gene expression and protein secretion are coordinated for efficient flagellar biogenesis. Polar flagellates, unlike peritrichous bacteria, commonly order flagellar rod and hook gene transcription as a separate step after production of the MS ring, C ring, and flagellar type III secretion system (fT3SS) core proteins that form a competent fT3SS. Conserved regulatory mechanisms in diverse polar flagellates to create this polar flagellar transcriptional program have not been thoroughly assimilated. Using in silico and genetic analyses and our previous findings in Campylobacter jejuni as a foundation, we observed a large subset of Gram-negative bacteria with the FlhF/FlhG regulatory system for polar flagellation to possess flagellum-associated two-component signal transduction systems (TCSs). We present data supporting a general theme in polar flagellates whereby MS ring, rotor, and fT3SS proteins contribute to a regulatory checkpoint during polar flagellar biogenesis. We demonstrate that Vibrio cholerae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa require the formation of this regulatory checkpoint for the TCSs to directly activate subsequent rod and hook gene transcription, which are hallmarks of the polar flagellar transcriptional program. By reprogramming transcription in V. cholerae to more closely follow the peritrichous flagellar transcriptional program, we discovered a link between the polar flagellar transcription program and the activity of FlhF/FlhG flagellar biogenesis regulators in which the transcriptional program allows polar flagellates to continue to produce flagella for motility when FlhF or FlhG activity may be altered. Our findings integrate flagellar transcriptional and biogenesis regulatory processes involved in polar flagellation in many species.
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Zhang K, He J, Cantalano C, Guo Y, Liu J, Li C. FlhF regulates the number and configuration of periplasmic flagella in Borrelia burgdorferi. Mol Microbiol 2020; 113:1122-1139. [PMID: 32039533 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2019] [Revised: 02/03/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The Lyme disease bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi has 7-11 periplasmic flagella (PF) that arise from the cell poles and extend toward the midcell as a flat-ribbon, which is distinct from other bacteria. FlhF, a signal recognition particle (SRP)-like GTPase, has been found to regulate the flagellar number and polarity; however, its role in B. burgdorferi remains unknown. B. burgdorferi has an FlhF homolog (BB0270). Structural and biochemical analyses show that BB0270 has a similar structure and enzymatic activity as its counterparts from other bacteria. Genetics and cryo-electron tomography studies reveal that deletion of BB0270 leads to mutant cells that have less PF (4 ± 2 PF per cell tip) and fail to form a flat-ribbon, indicative of a role of BB0270 in the control of PF number and configuration. Mechanistically, we demonstrate that BB0270 localizes at the cell poles and controls the number and position of PF via regulating the flagellar protein stability and the polar localization of the MS-ring protein FliF. Our study not only provides the detailed characterizations of BB0270 and its profound impacts on flagellar assembly, morphology and motility in B. burgdorferi, but also unveils mechanistic insights into how spirochetes control their unique flagellar patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Zhang
- Philips Institute for Oral Health Research, School of Dentistry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Jun He
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Microbial Sciences Institute, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Claudio Cantalano
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA.,Institute for Structural Biology, Drug Discovery and Development, School of Pharmacy, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Youzhong Guo
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA.,Institute for Structural Biology, Drug Discovery and Development, School of Pharmacy, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Jun Liu
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Microbial Sciences Institute, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Chunhao Li
- Philips Institute for Oral Health Research, School of Dentistry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
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