1
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Sanchez JC, Baumgardt JK, Wright ER. Purification and Cryo-Electron Microscopy Analysis of Bacterial Appendages. Bio Protoc 2024; 14:e5032. [PMID: 39100595 PMCID: PMC11292135 DOI: 10.21769/bioprotoc.5032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2024] [Revised: 06/14/2024] [Accepted: 06/30/2024] [Indexed: 08/06/2024] Open
Abstract
A number of extracellular helical protein polymers are crucial for supporting bacterial motility. The bacterial flagellum is a polymeric appendage used to support cellular motility. Historically, structural studies of flagellar and other filaments were limited to those present as or locked into straightened states. Here, we present a robust workflow that produces biologically relevant high-resolution cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structures of bacterial flagellar filaments. We highlight how a simple purification method, centered around several centrifugation steps, exploits the process of filament ejection in Caulobacter crescentus and results in isolated filaments amenable to transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies. The quality of the sample is validated by SDS-PAGE and negative stain TEM analysis before a sample is vitrified for cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) data collection. We provide a detailed protocol for reconstructing either straight or curved flagellar filaments by cryo-EM helical reconstruction methods, followed by an overview of model building and validation. In our hands, this workflow resulted in several flagellar structures below 3 Å resolution, with one data set reaching a global resolution of 2.1 Å. The application of this workflow supports structure-function studies to better understand the molecular interactions that regulate filament architecture in biologically relevant states. Future work will not only examine interactions that regulate bacterial flagellar and other filament organization but also provide a foundation for developing new helical biopolymers for biotech applications. Key features • Rapid high-quality purification of bacterial flagella via simple bacterial culturing, centrifugation, and resuspension methods. • High-throughput cryo-EM data collection of filamentous objects. • Use of cryoSPARC implementations of helical reconstruction algorithms to generate high-resolution 3D structures of bacterial flagella or other helical polymers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan C. Sanchez
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Biophysics Graduate Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Biotechnology Training Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Joseph K. Baumgardt
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Elizabeth R. Wright
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Biophysics Graduate Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Biotechnology Training Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
- Cryo-Electron Microscopy Research Center, UW-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Midwest Center for Cryo-Electron Tomography, Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
- Morgridge Institute for Research, UW-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
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2
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Fanelli F, Montemurro M, Chieffi D, Cho GS, Low HZ, Hille F, Franz CMAP, Fusco V. Motility in Periweissella Species: Genomic and Phenotypic Characterization and Update on Motility in Lactobacillaceae. Microorganisms 2023; 11:2923. [PMID: 38138067 PMCID: PMC10745875 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11122923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The genus Weissella and the recently described genus Periweissella, to which some previously named Weissella species have been reclassified as a result of a taxogenomic assessment, includes lactic acid bacteria species with high biotechnological and probiotic potential. Only one species, namely, Periweissella (P.) beninensis, whose type strain has been shown to possess probiotic features, has so far been described to be motile. However, the availability of numerous genome sequences of Weissella and Periweissella species prompted the possibility to screen for the presence of the genetic determinants encoding motility in Weissella and Periweissellas spp. other than P. beninensis. Herein, we performed a comprehensive genomic analysis to identify motility-related proteins in all Weissella and Periweissella species described so far, and extended the analysis to the recently sequenced Lactobacillaceae spp. Furthermore, we performed motility assays and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) on Periweissella type strains to confirm the genomic prediction. The homology-based analysis revealed genes coding for motility proteins only in the type strains of P. beninensis, P. fabalis, P. fabaria and P. ghanensis genomes. However, only the P. beninensis type strain was positive in the motility assay and displayed run-and-tumble behavior. Many peritrichous and long flagella on bacterial cells were visualized via TEM, as well. As for the Lactobacillaceae, in addition to the species previously described to harbor motility proteins, the genetic determinants of motility were also found in the genomes of the type strains of Lactobacillus rogosae and Ligilactobacillus salitolerans. This study, which is one of the first to analyze the genomes of Weissella, Periweissella and the recently sequenced Lactobacillaceae spp. for the presence of genes coding for motility proteins and which assesses the associated motility phenotypes, provides novel results that expand knowledge on these genera and are useful in the further characterization of lactic acid bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Fanelli
- National Research Council of Italy, Institute of Sciences of Food Production (CNR-ISPA), 70126 Bari, Italy; (F.F.); (M.M.); (D.C.)
| | - Marco Montemurro
- National Research Council of Italy, Institute of Sciences of Food Production (CNR-ISPA), 70126 Bari, Italy; (F.F.); (M.M.); (D.C.)
| | - Daniele Chieffi
- National Research Council of Italy, Institute of Sciences of Food Production (CNR-ISPA), 70126 Bari, Italy; (F.F.); (M.M.); (D.C.)
| | - Gyu-Sung Cho
- Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Max Rubner-Institut, 24103 Kiel, Germany; (G.-S.C.); (H.-Z.L.); (F.H.)
| | - Hui-Zhi Low
- Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Max Rubner-Institut, 24103 Kiel, Germany; (G.-S.C.); (H.-Z.L.); (F.H.)
| | - Frank Hille
- Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Max Rubner-Institut, 24103 Kiel, Germany; (G.-S.C.); (H.-Z.L.); (F.H.)
| | - Charles M. A. P. Franz
- Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Max Rubner-Institut, 24103 Kiel, Germany; (G.-S.C.); (H.-Z.L.); (F.H.)
| | - Vincenzina Fusco
- National Research Council of Italy, Institute of Sciences of Food Production (CNR-ISPA), 70126 Bari, Italy; (F.F.); (M.M.); (D.C.)
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3
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Kint N, Viollier PH. Extracellular transfer of a conserved polymerization factor for multi-flagellin filament assembly in Caulobacter. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112890. [PMID: 37515768 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Unidirectional growth of filamentous protein assemblies including the bacterial flagellum relies on dedicated polymerization factors (PFs). The molecular determinants and structural transitions imposed by PFs on multi-subunit assembly are poorly understood. Here, we unveil FlaY from the polarized α-proteobacterium Caulobacter crescentus as a defining member of an alternative class of specialized flagellin PFs. Unlike the paradigmatic FliD capping protein, FlaY relies on a funnel-like β-propeller fold for flagellin polymerization. FlaY binds flagellin and is secreted by the flagellar secretion apparatus, yet it can also promote flagellin polymerization exogenously when donated from flagellin-deficient cells, serving as a transferable, extracellular public good. While the surge in FlaY abundance precedes bulk flagellin synthesis, FlaY-independent filament assembly is enhanced by mutation of a conserved region in multiple flagellin paralogs. We suggest that FlaYs are (multi-)flagellin PFs that evolved convergently to FliDs yet appropriated the versatile β-propeller fold implicated in human diseases for chaperone-assisted filament assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Kint
- Department of Microbiology & Molecular Medicine and Geneva Center for Inflammation Research (GCIR), Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Rue Michel Servet 1, 1211 Genève, Switzerland.
| | - Patrick H Viollier
- Department of Microbiology & Molecular Medicine and Geneva Center for Inflammation Research (GCIR), Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Rue Michel Servet 1, 1211 Genève, Switzerland.
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4
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Sanchez JC, Montemayor EJ, Ploscariu NT, Parrell DD, Yang J, Sibert B, Cai K, Wright ER. Structural and Functional Analysis of Flagellar Filaments of Caulobacter crescentus. MICROSCOPY AND MICROANALYSIS : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF MICROSCOPY SOCIETY OF AMERICA, MICROBEAM ANALYSIS SOCIETY, MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 2023; 29:920-921. [PMID: 37613764 DOI: 10.1093/micmic/ozad067.455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Juan C Sanchez
- Biophysics Graduate Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- Biotechnology Training Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Eric J Montemayor
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Nicoleta T Ploscariu
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Daniel D Parrell
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Jae Yang
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- Cryo-Electron Microscopy Research Center, UW-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Bryan Sibert
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- Cryo-Electron Microscopy Research Center, UW-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Kai Cai
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- Cryo-Electron Microscopy Research Center, UW-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Elizabeth R Wright
- Biophysics Graduate Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- Biotechnology Training Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- Cryo-Electron Microscopy Research Center, UW-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- Morgridge Institute for Research, UW-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
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5
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Kumari K, Sharma PK, Shikha S, Singh RP. Molecular characterization and in-depth genome analysis of Enterobacter sp. S-16. Funct Integr Genomics 2023; 23:245. [PMID: 37460717 DOI: 10.1007/s10142-023-01161-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Revised: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023]
Abstract
Enterobacter species are considered to be an opportunistic human pathogen owing to the existence of antibiotic-resistant strains and drug resides; however, the detailed analysis of the antibiotic resistance and virulence features in environmental isolates is poorly characterized. Here, in the study, we characterized the biochemical characteristics, and genome, pan-genome, and comparative genome analyses of an environmental isolate Enterobacter sp. S-16. The strain was identified as Enterobacter spp. by using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. To unravel genomic features, whole genome of Enterobacter sp. S-16 was sequenced using a hybrid assembly approach and genome assembly was performed using the Unicycler tool. The assembled genome contained the single conting size 5.3 Mbp, GC content 55.43%, and 4500 protein-coding genes. The genome analysis revealed the various gene clusters associated with virulence, antibiotic resistance, type VI secretion system (T6SS), and many stress tolerant genes, which may provide important insight for adapting to changing environment conditions. Moreover, different metabolic pathways were identified that potentially contribute to environmental survival. Various hydrolytic enzymes and motility functions equipped the strain S-16 as an active colonizer. The genome analysis confirms the presence of carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes), and non-enzymatic carbohydrate-binding modules (CBMs) involved in the hydrolysis of complex carbohydrate polymers. Moreover, the pan-genome analysis provides detailed information about the core genes and shared genes with the closest related Enterobacter species. The present study is the first report showing the presence of YdhE/NorM in Enterobacter spp. Thus, the elucidation of genome sequencing will increase our understanding of the pathogenic nature of environmental isolate, supporting the One Health Concept.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiran Kumari
- Department of Bioengineering and Biotechnology, Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra, Ranchi, Jharkhand, Pin 835215, India
| | - Parva Kumar Sharma
- Department of Plant Sciences and Landscape Architecture, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
| | - Shweta Shikha
- Shyama Prasad Mukherjee University, Ranchi, Jharkhand, India
| | - Rajnish Prakash Singh
- Department of Bioengineering and Biotechnology, Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra, Ranchi, Jharkhand, Pin 835215, India.
- Department of Biotechnology, Jaypee Institute of Information Technology, Noida, India.
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6
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Sanchez JC, Montemayor EJ, Ploscariu NT, Parrell D, Baumgardt JK, Yang JE, Sibert B, Cai K, Wright ER. Atomic-level architecture of Caulobacter crescentus flagellar filaments provide evidence for multi-flagellin filament stabilization. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.10.548443. [PMID: 37503001 PMCID: PMC10369909 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.10.548443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Flagella are dynamic, ion-powered machines with assembly pathways that are optimized for efficient flagella production. In bacteria, dozens of genes are coordinated at specific times in the cell lifecycle to generate each component of the flagellum. This is the case for Caulobacter crescentus, but little is known about why this species encodes six different flagellin genes. Furthermore, little is known about the benefits multi-flagellin species possess over single flagellin species, if any, or what molecular properties allow for multi-flagellin filaments to assemble. Here we present an in-depth analysis of several single flagellin filaments from C. crescentus, including an extremely well-resolved structure of a bacterial flagellar filament. We highlight key molecular interactions that differ between each bacterial strain and speculate how these interactions may alleviate or impose helical strain on the overall architecture of the filament. We detail conserved residues within the flagellin subunit that allow for the synthesis of multi-flagellin filaments. We further comment on how these molecular differences impact bacterial motility and highlight how no single flagellin filament achieves wild-type levels of motility, suggesting C. crescentus has evolved to produce a filament optimized for motility comprised of six flagellins. Finally, we highlight an ordered arrangement of glycosylation sites on the surface of the filaments and speculate how these sites may protect the β-hairpin located on the surface exposed domain of the flagellin subunit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan C. Sanchez
- Biophysics Graduate Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706
- Biotechnology Training Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706
| | - Eric J. Montemayor
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706
| | | | - Daniel Parrell
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706
- DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI USA
| | - Joseph K. Baumgardt
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706
| | - Jie E. Yang
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706
- Cryo-Electron Microscopy Research Center, UW-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
- Midwest Center for Cryo-Electron Tomography, Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI USA
| | - Bryan Sibert
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706
- Cryo-Electron Microscopy Research Center, UW-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
- Midwest Center for Cryo-Electron Tomography, Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI USA
| | - Kai Cai
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706
- Cryo-Electron Microscopy Research Center, UW-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
- Midwest Center for Cryo-Electron Tomography, Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI USA
| | - Elizabeth R. Wright
- Biophysics Graduate Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706
- Biotechnology Training Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706
- DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI USA
- Cryo-Electron Microscopy Research Center, UW-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
- Midwest Center for Cryo-Electron Tomography, Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI USA
- Morgridge Institute for Research, UW-Madison, Madison, WI, 53715, USA
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7
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Kinosita Y, Sowa Y. Flagellar polymorphism-dependent bacterial swimming motility in a structured environment. Biophys Physicobiol 2023; 20:e200024. [PMID: 37867560 PMCID: PMC10587448 DOI: 10.2142/biophysico.bppb-v20.0024] [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: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Most motile bacteria use supramolecular motility machinery called bacterial flagellum, which converts the chemical energy gained from ion flux into mechanical rotation. Bacterial cells sense their external environment through a two-component regulatory system consisting of a histidine kinase and response regulator. Combining these systems allows the cells to move toward favorable environments and away from their repellents. A representative example of flagellar motility is run-and-tumble swimming in Escherichia coli, where the counter-clockwise (CCW) rotation of a flagellar bundle propels the cell forward, and the clockwise (CW) rotation undergoes cell re-orientation (tumbling) upon switching the direction of flagellar motor rotation from CCW to CW. In this mini review, we focus on several types of chemotactic behaviors that respond to changes in flagellar shape and direction of rotation. Moreover, our single-cell analysis demonstrated back-and-forth swimming motility of an original E. coli strain. We propose that polymorphic flagellar changes are required to enhance bacterial movement in a structured environment as a colony spread on an agar plate.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yoshiyuki Sowa
- Department of Frontier Bioscience, Hosei University, Tokyo 184-8584, Japan
- Research Center for Micro-Nano Technology, Hosei University, Tokyo 184-8584, Japan
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8
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Kint N, Dubois T, Viollier PH. Stereoisomer-specific reprogramming of a bacterial flagellin sialyltransferase. EMBO J 2023; 42:e112880. [PMID: 36636824 PMCID: PMC9975948 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2022112880] [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: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Glycosylation of surface structures diversifies cells chemically and physically. Nucleotide-activated sialic acids commonly serve as glycosyl donors, particularly pseudaminic acid (Pse) and its stereoisomer legionaminic acid (Leg), which decorate eubacterial and archaeal surface layers or protein appendages. FlmG, a recently identified protein sialyltransferase, O-glycosylates flagellins, the subunits of the flagellar filament. We show that flagellin glycosylation and motility in Caulobacter crescentus and Brevundimonas subvibrioides is conferred by functionally insulated Pse and Leg biosynthesis pathways, respectively, and by specialized FlmG orthologs. We established a genetic glyco-profiling platform for the classification of Pse or Leg biosynthesis pathways, discovered a signature determinant of eubacterial and archaeal Leg biosynthesis, and validated it by reconstitution experiments in a heterologous host. Finally, by rewiring FlmG glycosylation using chimeras, we defined two modular determinants that govern flagellin glycosyltransferase specificity: a glycosyltransferase domain that either donates Leg or Pse and a specialized flagellin-binding domain that identifies the acceptor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Kint
- Department of Microbiology & Molecular Medicine and Geneva Center for Inflammation Research (GCIR), Faculty of MedicineUniversity of GenevaGenèveSwitzerland
| | - Thomas Dubois
- University of Lille, CNRS, INRAE, Centrale Lille, UMR 8207‐UMET‐Unité Matériaux et TransformationsLilleFrance
| | - Patrick H Viollier
- Department of Microbiology & Molecular Medicine and Geneva Center for Inflammation Research (GCIR), Faculty of MedicineUniversity of GenevaGenèveSwitzerland
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9
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Duplicated Flagellins in Pseudomonas Divergently Contribute to Motility and Plant Immune Elicitation. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0362122. [PMID: 36629446 PMCID: PMC9927476 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.03621-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Flagellins are the main constituents of the flagellar filaments that provide bacterial motility, chemotactic ability, and host immune elicitation ability. Although the functions of flagellins have been extensively studied in bacteria with a single flagellin-encoding gene, the function of multiple flagellin-encoding genes in a single bacterial species is largely unknown. Here, the model plant-growth-promoting bacterium Pseudomonas kilonensis F113 was used to decipher the divergent functions of duplicated flagellins. We demonstrate that the two flagellins (FliC-1 and FliC-2) in 12 Pseudomonas strains, including F113, are evolutionarily distinct. Only the fliC-1 gene but not the fliC-2 gene in strain F113 is responsible for flagellar biogenesis, motility, and plant immune elicitation. The transcriptional expression of fliC-2 was significantly lower than that of fliC-1 in medium and in planta, most likely due to variations in promoter activity. In silico prediction revealed that all fliC-2 genes in the 12 Pseudomonas strains have a poorly conserved promoter motif. Compared to the Flg22-2 epitope (relative to FliC-2), Flg22-1 (relative to FliC-1) induced stronger FLAGELLIN SENSING 2 (FLS2)-mediated microbe-associated molecular pattern-triggered immunity and significantly inhibited plant root growth. A change in the 19th amino acid in Flg22-2 reduced its binding affinity to the FLS2/brassinosteroid insensitive 1-associated kinase 1 complex. Also, Flg22-2 epitopes in the other 11 Pseudomonas strains were presumed to have low binding affinity due to the same change in the 19th amino acid. These findings suggest that Pseudomonas has evolved duplicate flagellins, with only FliC-1 contributing to motility and plant immune elicitation. IMPORTANCE Flagellins have emerged as important microbial patterns. This work focuses on flagellin duplication in some plant-associated Pseudomonas. Our findings on the divergence of duplicated flagellins provide a conceptual framework for better understanding the functional determinant flagellin and its peptide in multiple-flagellin plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria.
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10
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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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11
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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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12
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Molecular Characterization of Three Tandemly Located Flagellin Genes of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23073863. [PMID: 35409223 PMCID: PMC8998449 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23073863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Revised: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is a motile, opportunistic pathogen. The flagellum, which is involved in swimming, swarming, adhesion, and biofilm formation, is considered a virulence factor for motile pathogens. Three flagellin genes, fliC1, fliC2, and fliC3, were identified from the sequenced S. maltophilia genome. FliC1, fliC2, and fliC3 formed an operon, and their encoding proteins shared 67–82% identity. Members of the fliC1C2C3 operon were deleted individually or in combination to generate single mutants, double mutants, and a triple mutant. The contributions of the three flagellins to swimming, swarming, flagellum morphology, adhesion, and biofilm formation were assessed. The single mutants generally had a compromise in swimming and no significant defects in swarming, adhesion on biotic surfaces, and biofilm formation on abiotic surfaces. The double mutants displayed obvious defects in swimming and adhesion on abiotic and biotic surfaces. The flagellin-null mutant lost swimming ability and was compromised in adhesion and biofilm formation. All tested mutants demonstrated substantial but different flagellar morphologies, supporting that flagellin composition affects filament morphology. Bacterial swimming motility was significantly compromised under an oxidative stress condition, irrespective of flagellin composition. Collectively, the utilization of these three flagellins for filament assembly equips S. maltophilia with flagella adapted to provide better ability in swimming, adhesion, and biofilm formation for its pathogenesis.
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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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Flagellar Structures from the Bacterium Caulobacter crescentus and Implications for Phage ϕ CbK Predation of Multiflagellin Bacteria. J Bacteriol 2021; 203:JB.00399-20. [PMID: 33288623 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00399-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Caulobacter crescentus is a Gram-negative alphaproteobacterium that commonly lives in oligotrophic fresh- and saltwater environments. C. crescentus is a host to many bacteriophages, including ϕCbK and ϕCbK-like bacteriophages, which require interaction with the bacterial flagellum and pilus complexes during adsorption. It is commonly thought that the six paralogs of the flagellin gene present in C. crescentus are important for bacteriophage evasion. Here, we show that deletion of specific flagellins in C. crescentus can indeed attenuate ϕCbK adsorption efficiency, although no single deletion completely ablates ϕCbK adsorption. Thus, the bacteriophage ϕCbK likely recognizes a common motif among the six known flagellins in C. crescentus with various degrees of efficiency. Interestingly, we observe that most deletion strains still generate flagellar filaments, with the exception of a strain that contains only the most divergent flagellin, FljJ, or a strain that contains only FljN and FljO. To visualize the surface residues that are likely recognized by ϕCbK, we determined two high-resolution structures of the FljK filament, with and without an amino acid substitution that induces straightening of the filament. We observe posttranslational modifications on conserved surface threonine residues of FljK that are likely O-linked glycans. The possibility of interplay between these modifications and ϕCbK adsorption is discussed. We also determined the structure of a filament composed of a heterogeneous mixture of FljK and FljL, the final resolution of which was limited to approximately 4.6 Å. Altogether, this work builds a platform for future investigations of how phage ϕCbK infects C. crescentus at the molecular level.IMPORTANCE Bacterial flagellar filaments serve as an initial attachment point for many bacteriophages to bacteria. Some bacteria harbor numerous flagellin genes and are therefore able to generate flagellar filaments with complex compositions, which is thought to be important for evasion from bacteriophages. This study characterizes the importance of the six flagellin genes in C. crescentus for infection by bacteriophage ϕCbK. We find that filaments containing the FljK flagellin are the preferred substrate for bacteriophage ϕCbK. We also present a high-resolution structure of a flagellar filament containing only the FljK flagellin, which provides a platform for future studies on determining how bacteriophage ϕCbK attaches to flagellar filaments at the molecular level.
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Eguchi N, Suzuki S, Yokota K, Igimi S, Kajikawa A. Ligilactobacillus agilis BKN88 possesses thermo-/acid-stable heteropolymeric flagellar filaments. MICROBIOLOGY-SGM 2021; 167. [PMID: 33502302 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.001020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Many flagellated bacteria possess multiple flagellins, but the roles and the compositions of each flagellin are diverse and poorly understood. In Ligilactobacillus agilis BKN88, there are two active flagellin gene paralogues but their function and composition in its flagellar filaments have not been described. The aim of this study is to find the function and composition of the flagellins by employing mutant strains each of which expresses a single flagellin or a modified flagellin. Two single flagellin-expressing strains were both flagellated while the number of flagella per cell in the single flagellin-expressing derivatives was lower than that in the wild type. Nonetheless, these derivative strains were apparently equally motile as the wild type. This indicates that either flagellin is sufficient for cell motility. The immunological activity via Toll-like receptor 5 of the single flagellin-expressing strains or purified single flagellins was readily detectable but mostly variably weaker than that of the wild type. The flagellar filaments of wild type L. agilis BKN88 were more acid-/thermo-stable than those of single flagellin-expressing derivatives. Using a combination of immunoprecipitation and flagellin-specific staining, wild type BKN88 appeared to possess heteropolymeric flagellar filaments consisting of both flagellins and each flagellin appeared to be equally distributed throughout the filaments. The results of this study suggest that the two flagellins together form a more robust filament than either alone and are thus functionally complementary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naoto Eguchi
- Department of Agricultural Chemistry, Graduate School of Tokyo University of Agriculture, 1-1-1 Sakuragaoka, Setagaya, Tokyo 156-8502, Japan
| | - Shunya Suzuki
- Department of Agricultural Chemistry, Graduate School of Tokyo University of Agriculture, 1-1-1 Sakuragaoka, Setagaya, Tokyo 156-8502, Japan
| | - Kenji Yokota
- Department of Agricultural Chemistry, Tokyo University of Agriculture, 1-1-1 Sakuragaoka, Setagaya, Tokyo 156-8502, Japan
| | - Shizunobu Igimi
- Department of Agricultural Chemistry, Tokyo University of Agriculture, 1-1-1 Sakuragaoka, Setagaya, Tokyo 156-8502, Japan
| | - Akinobu Kajikawa
- Department of Agricultural Chemistry, Tokyo University of Agriculture, 1-1-1 Sakuragaoka, Setagaya, Tokyo 156-8502, Japan
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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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17
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Eckhard U, Blöchl C, Jenkins BGL, Mansfield MJ, Huber CG, Doxey AC, Brandstetter H. Identification and characterization of the proteolytic flagellin from the common freshwater bacterium Hylemonella gracilis. Sci Rep 2020; 10:19052. [PMID: 33149258 PMCID: PMC7643111 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-76010-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 10/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Flagellins are the protein components of bacterial flagella and assemble in up to 20,000 copies to form extracellular flagellar filaments. An unusual family of flagellins was recently discovered that contains a unique metalloprotease domain within its surface-exposed hypervariable region. To date, these proteolytic flagellins (also termed flagellinolysins) have only been characterized in the Gram-positive organism Clostridium haemolyticum, where flagellinolysin was shown to be proteolytically active and capable of cleaving extracellular protein substrates. The biological function of flagellinolysin and its activity in other organisms, however, remain unclear. Here, using molecular biochemistry and proteomics, we have performed an initial characterization of a novel flagellinolysin identified from Hylemonella gracilis, a Gram-negative organism originally isolated from pond water. We demonstrate that H. gracilis flagellinolysin (HgrFlaMP) is an active calcium-dependent zinc metallopeptidase and characterize its cleavage specificity profile using both trypsin and GluC-derived peptide libraries and protein substrates. Based on high-throughput degradomic assays, HgrFlaMP cleaved 784 unique peptides and displayed a cleavage site specificity similar to flagellinolysin from C. haemolyticum. Additionally, by using a set of six protein substrates, we identified 206 protein-embedded cleavage sites, further refining the substrate preference of HgrFlaMP, which is dominated by large hydrophobic amino acids in P1', and small hydrophobic or medium-sized polar residues on the amino-terminal side of the scissile bond. Intriguingly, recombinant HgrFlaMP was also capable of cleaving full-length flagellins from another species, suggesting its potential involvement in interbacterial interactions. Our study reports the first experimentally characterized proteolytic flagellin in a Gram-negative organism, and provides new insights into flagellum-mediated enzymatic activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrich Eckhard
- Department of Biosciences, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunner Straße 34, 5020, Salzburg, Austria. .,Proteolysis Lab, Department of Structural Biology, Molecular Biology Institute of Barcelona, CSIC, Barcelona Science Park, Baldiri Reixac, 15-21, 08028, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
| | - Constantin Blöchl
- Department of Biosciences, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunner Straße 34, 5020, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Benjamin G L Jenkins
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave. West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Michael J Mansfield
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave. West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada.,Genomics and Regulatory Sytems Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, Okinawa, 904-0495, Japan
| | - Christian G Huber
- Department of Biosciences, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunner Straße 34, 5020, Salzburg, Austria.,Christian Doppler Laboratory for Innovative Tools for Biosimilar Characterization, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunner Straße 34, 5020, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Andrew C Doxey
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave. West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada.
| | - Hans Brandstetter
- Department of Biosciences, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunner Straße 34, 5020, Salzburg, Austria.,Christian Doppler Laboratory for Innovative Tools for Biosimilar Characterization, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunner Straße 34, 5020, Salzburg, Austria
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18
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Ardissone S, Kint N, Petrignani B, Panis G, Viollier PH. Secretion Relieves Translational Co-repression by a Specialized Flagellin Paralog. Dev Cell 2020; 55:500-513.e4. [DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2020.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Revised: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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19
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Ardissone S, Kint N, Viollier PH. Specificity in glycosylation of multiple flagellins by the modular and cell cycle regulated glycosyltransferase FlmG. eLife 2020; 9:e60488. [PMID: 33108275 PMCID: PMC7591256 DOI: 10.7554/elife.60488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2020] [Accepted: 09/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
How specificity is programmed into post-translational modification of proteins by glycosylation is poorly understood, especially for O-linked glycosylation systems. Here we reconstitute and dissect the substrate specificity underpinning the cytoplasmic O-glycosylation pathway that modifies all six flagellins, five structural and one regulatory paralog, in Caulobacter crescentus, a monopolarly flagellated alpha-proteobacterium. We characterize the biosynthetic pathway for the sialic acid-like sugar pseudaminic acid and show its requirement for flagellation, flagellin modification and efficient export. The cognate NeuB enzyme that condenses phosphoenolpyruvate with a hexose into pseudaminic acid is functionally interchangeable with other pseudaminic acid synthases. The previously unknown and cell cycle-regulated FlmG protein, a defining member of a new class of cytoplasmic O-glycosyltransferases, is required and sufficient for flagellin modification. The substrate specificity of FlmG is conferred by its N-terminal flagellin-binding domain. FlmG accumulates before the FlaF secretion chaperone, potentially timing flagellin modification, export, and assembly during the cell division cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Ardissone
- Department of Microbiology & Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine / CMU, University of GenevaGenèveSwitzerland
| | - Nicolas Kint
- Department of Microbiology & Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine / CMU, University of GenevaGenèveSwitzerland
| | - Patrick H Viollier
- Department of Microbiology & Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine / CMU, University of GenevaGenèveSwitzerland
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20
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Kinosita Y, Ishida T, Yoshida M, Ito R, Morimoto YV, Goto K, Berry RM, Nishizaka T, Sowa Y. Distinct chemotactic behavior in the original Escherichia coli K-12 depending on forward-and-backward swimming, not on run-tumble movements. Sci Rep 2020; 10:15887. [PMID: 32985511 PMCID: PMC7522084 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-72429-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2020] [Accepted: 08/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Most motile bacteria are propelled by rigid, helical, flagellar filaments and display distinct swimming patterns to explore their favorable environments. Escherichia coli cells have a reversible rotary motor at the base of each filament. They exhibit a run-tumble swimming pattern, driven by switching of the rotational direction, which causes polymorphic flagellar transformation. Here we report a novel swimming mode in E. coli ATCC10798, which is one of the original K-12 clones. High-speed tracking of single ATCC10798 cells showed forward and backward swimming with an average turning angle of 150°. The flagellar helicity remained right-handed with a 1.3 μm pitch and 0.14 μm helix radius, which is consistent with the feature of a curly type, regardless of motor switching; the flagella of ATCC10798 did not show polymorphic transformation. The torque and rotational switching of the motor was almost identical to the E. coli W3110 strain, which is a derivative of K-12 and a wild-type for chemotaxis. The single point mutation of N87K in FliC, one of the filament subunits, is critical to the change in flagellar morphology and swimming pattern, and lack of flagellar polymorphism. E. coli cells expressing FliC(N87K) sensed ascending a chemotactic gradient in liquid but did not spread on a semi-solid surface. Based on these results, we concluded that a flagellar polymorphism is essential for spreading in structured environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshiaki Kinosita
- Department of Physics, Gakushuin University, 1-5-1 Mejiro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo, 171-8588, Japan.
- Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Park load, Oxford, OX1 3PU, UK.
- Molecular Physiology Laboratory, RIKEN, Wako, Japan.
| | - Tsubasa Ishida
- Department of Frontier Bioscience and Research Center for Micro-Nano Technology, Hosei University, Tokyo, 184-8584, Japan
| | - Myu Yoshida
- Department of Frontier Bioscience and Research Center for Micro-Nano Technology, Hosei University, Tokyo, 184-8584, Japan
| | - Rie Ito
- Department of Frontier Bioscience and Research Center for Micro-Nano Technology, Hosei University, Tokyo, 184-8584, Japan
| | - Yusuke V Morimoto
- Department of Physics and Information Technology, Faculty of Computer Science and Systems Engineering, Kyushu Institute of Technology, Iizuka, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Kazuki Goto
- Department of Physics, Gakushuin University, 1-5-1 Mejiro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo, 171-8588, Japan
| | - Richard M Berry
- Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Park load, Oxford, OX1 3PU, UK
| | - Takayuki Nishizaka
- Department of Physics, Gakushuin University, 1-5-1 Mejiro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo, 171-8588, Japan
| | - Yoshiyuki Sowa
- Department of Frontier Bioscience and Research Center for Micro-Nano Technology, Hosei University, Tokyo, 184-8584, Japan.
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21
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Spirochete Flagella and Motility. Biomolecules 2020; 10:biom10040550. [PMID: 32260454 PMCID: PMC7225975 DOI: 10.3390/biom10040550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2020] [Revised: 04/03/2020] [Accepted: 04/03/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Spirochetes can be distinguished from other flagellated bacteria by their long, thin, spiral (or wavy) cell bodies and endoflagella that reside within the periplasmic space, designated as periplasmic flagella (PFs). Some members of the spirochetes are pathogenic, including the causative agents of syphilis, Lyme disease, swine dysentery, and leptospirosis. Furthermore, their unique morphologies have attracted attention of structural biologists; however, the underlying physics of viscoelasticity-dependent spirochetal motility is a longstanding mystery. Elucidating the molecular basis of spirochetal invasion and interaction with hosts, resulting in the appearance of symptoms or the generation of asymptomatic reservoirs, will lead to a deeper understanding of host-pathogen relationships and the development of antimicrobials. Moreover, the mechanism of propulsion in fluids or on surfaces by the rotation of PFs within the narrow periplasmic space could be a designing base for an autonomously driving micro-robot with high efficiency. This review describes diverse morphology and motility observed among the spirochetes and further summarizes the current knowledge on their mechanisms and relations to pathogenicity, mainly from the standpoint of experimental biophysics.
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22
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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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23
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Abstract
Bacterial and archaeal flagellins are remarkable in having a shared region with variation in housekeeping proteins and a region with extreme diversity, perhaps greater than for any other protein. Analysis of the 113,285 available full-gene sequences of flagellin genes from published bacterial and archaeal sequences revealed the nature and enormous extent of flagellin diversity. There were 35,898 unique amino acid sequences that were resolved into 187 clusters. Analysis of the Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica flagellins revealed that the variation occurs at two levels. The first is the division of the variable regions into sequence forms that are so divergent that there is no meaningful alignment even within species, and these corresponded to the E. coli or S. enterica H-antigen groups. The second level is variation within these groups, which is extensive in both species. Shared sequence would allow PCR of the variable regions and thus strain-level analysis of microbiome DNA. Flagellin, the agent of prokaryotic flagellar motion, is very widely distributed and is the H antigen of serology. Flagellin molecules have a variable region that confers serotype specificity, encoded by the middle of the gene, and also conserved regions encoded by the two ends of the gene. We collected all available prokaryotic flagellin protein sequences and found the variable region diversity to be at two levels. In each species investigated, there are hypervariable region (HVR) forms without detectable homology in protein sequences between them. There is also considerable variation within HVR forms, indicating that some have been diverging for thousands of years and that interphylum horizontal gene transfers make a major contribution to the evolution of such atypical diversity. IMPORTANCE Bacterial and archaeal flagellins are remarkable in having a shared region with variation in housekeeping proteins and a region with extreme diversity, perhaps greater than for any other protein. Analysis of the 113,285 available full-gene sequences of flagellin genes from published bacterial and archaeal sequences revealed the nature and enormous extent of flagellin diversity. There were 35,898 unique amino acid sequences that were resolved into 187 clusters. Analysis of the Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica flagellins revealed that the variation occurs at two levels. The first is the division of the variable regions into sequence forms that are so divergent that there is no meaningful alignment even within species, and these corresponded to the E. coli or S. enterica H-antigen groups. The second level is variation within these groups, which is extensive in both species. Shared sequence would allow PCR of the variable regions and thus strain-level analysis of microbiome DNA.
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Flagellar Mutants Have Reduced Pilus Synthesis in Caulobacter crescentus. J Bacteriol 2019; 201:JB.00031-19. [PMID: 30833355 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00031-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2019] [Accepted: 02/25/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Surface appendages, such as flagella and type IV pili, mediate a broad range of bacterial behaviors, including motility, attachment, and surface sensing. While many species harbor both flagella and type IV pili, little is known about how or if their syntheses are coupled. Here, we show that deletions of genes encoding different flagellum machinery components result in a reduction of pilus synthesis in Caulobacter crescentus First, we show that different flagellar mutants exhibit different levels of sensitivity to a pilus-dependent phage and that fewer cells within populations of flagellar mutants make pili. Furthermore, we find that single cells within flagellar mutant populations produce fewer pili per cell. We demonstrate that these gene deletions result in reduced transcription of pilus-associated genes and have a slight but significant effect on general transcription profiles. Finally, we show that the decrease in pilus production is due to a reduction in the pool of pilin subunits that are polymerized into pilus fibers. These data demonstrate that mutations in flagellar gene components not only affect motility but also can have considerable and unexpected consequences for other aspects of cell biology.IMPORTANCE Most bacterial species synthesize surface-exposed appendages that are important for environmental interactions and survival under diverse conditions. It is often assumed that these appendages act independently of each other and that mutations in either system can be used to assess functionality in specific processes. However, we show that mutations in flagellar genes can impact the production of type IV pili, as well as alter general RNA transcriptional profiles compared to a wild-type strain. These data demonstrate that seemingly simple mutations can broadly affect cell-regulatory networks.
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25
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Flagella-Driven Motility of Bacteria. Biomolecules 2019; 9:biom9070279. [PMID: 31337100 PMCID: PMC6680979 DOI: 10.3390/biom9070279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 181] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2019] [Revised: 07/11/2019] [Accepted: 07/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The bacterial flagellum is a helical filamentous organelle responsible for motility. In bacterial species possessing flagella at the cell exterior, the long helical flagellar filament acts as a molecular screw to generate thrust. Meanwhile, the flagella of spirochetes reside within the periplasmic space and not only act as a cytoskeleton to determine the helicity of the cell body, but also rotate or undulate the helical cell body for propulsion. Despite structural diversity of the flagella among bacterial species, flagellated bacteria share a common rotary nanomachine, namely the flagellar motor, which is located at the base of the filament. The flagellar motor is composed of a rotor ring complex and multiple transmembrane stator units and converts the ion flux through an ion channel of each stator unit into the mechanical work required for motor rotation. Intracellular chemotactic signaling pathways regulate the direction of flagella-driven motility in response to changes in the environments, allowing bacteria to migrate towards more desirable environments for their survival. Recent experimental and theoretical studies have been deepening our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of the flagellar motor. In this review article, we describe the current understanding of the structure and dynamics of the bacterial flagellum.
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Maruyama Y, Hashimoto W, Murata K. Structural studies on bacterial system used in the recognition and uptake of the macromolecule alginate. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem 2019; 83:794-802. [PMID: 30744540 DOI: 10.1080/09168451.2019.1578642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Alginate is an acidic heteropolysaccharide produced by brown seaweed and certain kinds of bacteria. The cells of Sphingomonas sp. strain A1, a gram-negative bacterium, have several alginate-degrading enzymes in their cytoplasm and efficiently utilize this polymer for their growth. Sphingomonas sp. strain A1 cells can directly incorporate alginate into their cytoplasm through a transport system consisting of a "pit" on their cell surface, substrate-binding proteins in their periplasm, and an ATP-binding cassette transporter in their inner membrane. This review deals with the structural and functional aspects of bacterial systems necessary for the recognition and uptake of alginate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yukie Maruyama
- a Division of Food Science and Biotechnology , Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University , Uji, Kyoto , Japan.,b Department of Life Science, Faculty of Science and Engineering , Setsunan University , Neyagawa, Osaka , Japan
| | - Wataru Hashimoto
- a Division of Food Science and Biotechnology , Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University , Uji, Kyoto , Japan
| | - Kousaku Murata
- a Division of Food Science and Biotechnology , Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University , Uji, Kyoto , Japan.,b Department of Life Science, Faculty of Science and Engineering , Setsunan University , Neyagawa, Osaka , Japan
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27
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Abstract
Bacteria, life living at microscale, can spread only by thermal fluctuation. However, the ability of directional movement, such as swimming by rotating flagella, gliding over surfaces via mobile cell-surface adhesins, and actin-dependent movement, could be useful for thriving through searching more favorable environments, and such motility is known to be related to pathogenicity. Among diverse migration mechanisms, perhaps flagella-dependent motility would be used by most species. The bacterial flagellum is a molecular nanomachine comprising a helical filament and a basal motor, which is fueled by an electrochemical gradient of cation across the cell membrane (ion motive force). Many species, such as Escherichia coli, possess flagella on the outside of the cell body, whereas flagella of spirochetes reside within the periplasmic space. Flagellar filaments or helical spirochete bodies rotate like a screw propeller, generating propulsive force. This review article describes the current knowledge of the structure and operation mechanism of the bacterial flagellum, and flagella-dependent motility in highly viscous environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuichi Nakamura
- Department of Applied Physics, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University
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Kühn MJ, Schmidt FK, Farthing NE, Rossmann FM, Helm B, Wilson LG, Eckhardt B, Thormann KM. Spatial arrangement of several flagellins within bacterial flagella improves motility in different environments. Nat Commun 2018; 9:5369. [PMID: 30560868 PMCID: PMC6299084 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-07802-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2018] [Accepted: 11/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial flagella are helical proteinaceous fibers, composed of the protein flagellin, that confer motility to many bacterial species. The genomes of about half of all flagellated species include more than one flagellin gene, for reasons mostly unknown. Here we show that two flagellins (FlaA and FlaB) are spatially arranged in the polar flagellum of Shewanella putrefaciens, with FlaA being more abundant close to the motor and FlaB in the remainder of the flagellar filament. Observations of swimming trajectories and numerical simulations demonstrate that this segmentation improves motility in a range of environmental conditions, compared to mutants with single-flagellin filaments. In particular, it facilitates screw-like motility, which enhances cellular spreading through obstructed environments. Similar mechanisms may apply to other bacterial species and may explain the maintenance of multiple flagellins to form the flagellar filament.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco J Kühn
- Institut für Mikrobiologie und Molekularbiologie, Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, 35392, Gießen, Germany
| | - Felix K Schmidt
- Fachbereich Physik und LOEWE Zentrum für Synthetische Mikrobiologie, Philipps-Universität Marburg, 35032, Marburg, Germany
| | - Nicola E Farthing
- Department of Physics, University of York, Heslington, York, YO10 5DD, UK
- Department of Mathematics, University of York, Heslington, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Florian M Rossmann
- Institut für Mikrobiologie und Molekularbiologie, Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, 35392, Gießen, Germany
| | - Bina Helm
- Institut für Mikrobiologie und Molekularbiologie, Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, 35392, Gießen, Germany
| | - Laurence G Wilson
- Department of Physics, University of York, Heslington, York, YO10 5DD, UK.
| | - Bruno Eckhardt
- Fachbereich Physik und LOEWE Zentrum für Synthetische Mikrobiologie, Philipps-Universität Marburg, 35032, Marburg, Germany.
| | - Kai M Thormann
- Institut für Mikrobiologie und Molekularbiologie, Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, 35392, Gießen, Germany.
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Multiple Flagellin Proteins Have Distinct and Synergistic Roles in Agrobacterium tumefaciens Motility. J Bacteriol 2018; 200:JB.00327-18. [PMID: 30201783 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00327-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2018] [Accepted: 09/01/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Rotary flagella propel bacteria through liquid and across semisolid environments. Flagella are composed of the basal body that constitutes the motor for rotation, the curved hook that connects to the basal body, and the flagellar filament that propels the cell. Flagellar filaments can be composed of a single flagellin protein, such as in Escherichia coli, or made up of multiple flagellins, such as in Agrobacterium tumefaciens The four distinct flagellins FlaA, FlaB, FlaC, and FlaD produced by wild-type A. tumefaciens are not redundant in function but have specific properties. FlaA and FlaB are much more abundant than FlaC and FlaD and are readily observable in mature flagellar filaments, when either FlaA or FlaB is fluorescently labeled. Cells producing FlaA with any one of the other three flagellins can generate functional filaments and thus are motile, but FlaA alone cannot constitute a functional filament. In flaA mutants that manifest swimming deficiencies, there are multiple ways by which these mutations can be phenotypically suppressed. These suppressor mutations primarily occur within or upstream of the flaB flagellin gene or in the transcription factor sciP regulating flagellin expression. The helical conformation of the flagellar filament appears to require a key asparagine residue present in FlaA and absent in other flagellins. However, FlaB can be spontaneously mutated to render helical flagella in the absence of FlaA, reflecting their overall similarity and perhaps the subtle differences in the specific functions they have evolved to fulfill.IMPORTANCE Flagellins are abundant bacterial proteins comprising the flagellar filaments that propel bacterial movement. Several members of the alphaproteobacterial group express multiple flagellins, in contrast to model systems, such as with Escherichia coli, which has one type of flagellin. The plant pathogen Agrobacterium tumefaciens has four flagellins, the abundant and readily detected FlaA and FlaB, and lower levels of FlaC and FlaD. Mutational analysis reveals that FlaA requires at least one of the other flagellins to function, as flaA mutants produce nonhelical flagella and cannot swim efficiently. Suppressor mutations can rescue this swimming defect through mutations in the remaining flagellins, including structural changes imparting helical shape to the flagella, and putative regulators. Our findings shed light on how multiple flagellins contribute to motility.
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Hentchel KL, Reyes Ruiz LM, Curtis PD, Fiebig A, Coleman ML, Crosson S. Genome-scale fitness profile of Caulobacter crescentus grown in natural freshwater. ISME JOURNAL 2018; 13:523-536. [PMID: 30297849 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-018-0295-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2018] [Revised: 09/18/2018] [Accepted: 09/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Bacterial genomes evolve in complex ecosystems and are best understood in this natural context, but replicating such conditions in the lab is challenging. We used transposon sequencing to define the fitness consequences of gene disruption in the bacterium Caulobacter crescentus grown in natural freshwater, compared with axenic growth in common laboratory media. Gene disruptions in amino-acid and nucleotide sugar biosynthesis pathways and in metabolic substrate transport machinery impaired fitness in both lake water and defined minimal medium relative to complex peptone broth. Fitness in lake water was enhanced by insertions in genes required for flagellum biosynthesis and reduced by insertions in genes involved in biosynthesis of the holdfast surface adhesin. We further uncovered numerous hypothetical and uncharacterized genes for which disruption impaired fitness in lake water, defined minimal medium, or both. At the genome scale, the fitness profile of mutants cultivated in lake water was more similar to that in complex peptone broth than in defined minimal medium. Microfiltration of lake water did not significantly affect the terminal cell density or the fitness profile of the transposon mutant pool, suggesting that Caulobacter does not strongly interact with other microbes in this ecosystem on the measured timescale. Fitness of select mutants with defects in cell surface biosynthesis and environmental sensing were significantly more variable across days in lake water than in defined medium, presumably owing to day-to-day heterogeneity in the lake environment. This study reveals genetic interactions between Caulobacter and a natural freshwater environment, and provides a new avenue to study gene function in complex ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristy L Hentchel
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Leila M Reyes Ruiz
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Patrick D Curtis
- Department of Biology, University of Mississippi, University, MS, 38677, USA
| | - Aretha Fiebig
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA.
| | - Maureen L Coleman
- Department of the Geophysical Sciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA.
| | - Sean Crosson
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA.
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Berne C, Ellison CK, Agarwal R, Severin GB, Fiebig A, Morton RI, Waters CM, Brun YV. Feedback regulation of Caulobacter crescentus holdfast synthesis by flagellum assembly via the holdfast inhibitor HfiA. Mol Microbiol 2018; 110:219-238. [PMID: 30079982 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
To permanently attach to surfaces, Caulobacter crescentusproduces a strong adhesive, the holdfast. The timing of holdfast synthesis is developmentally regulated by cell cycle cues. When C. crescentusis grown in a complex medium, holdfast synthesis can also be stimulated by surface sensing, in which swarmer cells rapidly synthesize holdfast in direct response to surface contact. In contrast to growth in complex medium, here we show that when cells are grown in a defined medium, surface contact does not trigger holdfast synthesis. Moreover, we show that in a defined medium, flagellum synthesis and regulation of holdfast production are linked. In these conditions, mutants lacking a flagellum attach to surfaces over time more efficiently than either wild-type strains or strains harboring a paralyzed flagellum. Enhanced adhesion in mutants lacking flagellar components is due to premature holdfast synthesis during the cell cycle and is regulated by the holdfast synthesis inhibitor HfiA. hfiA transcription is reduced in flagellar mutants and this reduction is modulated by the diguanylate cyclase developmental regulator PleD. We also show that, in contrast to previous predictions, flagella are not necessarily required for C. crescentus surface sensing in the absence of flow, and that arrest of flagellar rotation does not stimulate holdfast synthesis. Rather, our data support a model in which flagellum assembly feeds back to control holdfast synthesis via HfiA expression in a c-di-GMP-dependent manner under defined nutrient conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cécile Berne
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, 1001 E. 3rd Street, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA
| | - Courtney K Ellison
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, 1001 E. 3rd Street, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA
| | - Radhika Agarwal
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, 1001 E. 3rd Street, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA.,Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Geoffrey B Severin
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Aretha Fiebig
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Robert I Morton
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, 1001 E. 3rd Street, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA
| | - Christopher M Waters
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Yves V Brun
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, 1001 E. 3rd Street, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA
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32
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Kinosita Y, Nishizaka T. Cross-kymography analysis to simultaneously quantify the function and morphology of the archaellum. Biophys Physicobiol 2018; 15:121-128. [PMID: 29955563 PMCID: PMC6018435 DOI: 10.2142/biophysico.15.0_121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2018] [Accepted: 03/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In many microorganisms helical structures are important for motility, e.g., bacterial flagella and kink propagation in Spiroplasma eriocheiris. Motile archaea also form a helical-shaped filament called the ‘archaellum’ that is functionally equivalent to the bacterial flagellum, but structurally resembles type IV pili. The archaellum motor consists of 6–8 proteins called fla accessory genes, and the filament assembly is driven by ATP hydrolysis at catalytic sites in FlaI. Remarkably, previous research using a dark-field microscopy showed that right-handed filaments propelled archaeal cells forwards or backwards by clockwise or counterclockwise rotation, respectively. However, the shape and rotational rate of the archaellum during swimming remained unclear, due to the low signal and lack of temporal resolution. Additionally, the structure and the motor properties of the archaellum and bacterial flagellum have not been precisely determined during swimming because they move freely in three-dimensional space. Recently, we developed an advanced method called “cross-kymography analysis”, which enables us to be a long-term observation and simultaneously quantify the function and morphology of helical structures using a total internal reflection fluorescence microscope. In this review, we introduce the basic idea of this analysis, and summarize the latest information in structural and functional characterization of the archaellum motor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshiaki Kinosita
- Department of Physics, Gakushuin University, Toshima-ku, Tokyo 171-8588, Japan
| | - Takayuki Nishizaka
- Department of Physics, Gakushuin University, Toshima-ku, Tokyo 171-8588, Japan
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33
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Lele PP, Roland T, Shrivastava A, Chen Y, Berg HC. The flagellar motor of Caulobacter crescentus generates more torque when a cell swims backward. NATURE PHYSICS 2016; 12:175-178. [PMID: 27499800 PMCID: PMC4973516 DOI: 10.1038/nphys3528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2015] [Accepted: 09/22/2015] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Caulobacter crescentus, a monotrichous bacterium, swims by rotating a single right-handed helical filament. CW motor rotation thrusts the cell forward 1, a mode of motility known as the pusher mode; CCW motor rotation pulls the cell backward, a mode of motility referred to as the puller mode 2. The situation is opposite in E. coli, a peritrichous bacterium, where CCW rotation of multiple left-handed filaments drives the cell forward. The flagellar motor in E. coli generates more torque in the CCW direction than the CW direction in swimming cells 3,4. However, monotrichous bacteria including C. crescentus swim forward and backward at similar speeds, prompting the assumption that motor torques in the two modes are the same 5,6. Here, we present evidence that motors in C. crescentus develop higher torques in the puller mode than in the pusher mode, and suggest that the anisotropy in torque-generation is similar in two species, despite the differences in filament handedness and motor bias (probability of CW rotation).
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Affiliation(s)
- Pushkar P. Lele
- Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station TX 77843-3122
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge MA 02138
| | - Thibault Roland
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge MA 02138
| | - Abhishek Shrivastava
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge MA 02138
| | | | - Howard C. Berg
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge MA 02138
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34
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Ardissone S, Viollier PH. Interplay between flagellation and cell cycle control in Caulobacter. Curr Opin Microbiol 2015; 28:83-92. [PMID: 26476805 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2015.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2015] [Revised: 08/09/2015] [Accepted: 08/11/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The assembly of the flagellum, a sophisticated nanomachine powering bacterial locomotion in liquids and across surfaces, is highly regulated. In the synchronizable α-Proteobacterium Caulobacter crescentus, the flagellum is built at a pre-selected cell pole and flagellar transcript abundance oscillates during the cell cycle. Conserved regulators not only dictate when the transcripts encoding flagellar structural proteins peak, but also those encoding polarization factors. Additionally, post-transcriptional cell cycle cues facilitate flagellar (dis-)assembly at the new cell pole. Because of this regulatory complexity and the power of bacterial genetics, motility is a suitable and simple proxy for dissecting how bacteria implement cell cycle progression and polarity, while also providing clues on how bacteria might decide when and where to display other surface structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Ardissone
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Genomics in Geneva (iGE3), Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Rue Michel Servet 1, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland
| | - Patrick H Viollier
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Genomics in Geneva (iGE3), Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Rue Michel Servet 1, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland.
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35
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Janesch B, Schirmeister F, Maresch D, Altmann F, Messner P, Kolarich D, Schäffer C. Flagellin glycosylation in Paenibacillus alvei CCM 2051T. Glycobiology 2015; 26:74-87. [PMID: 26405108 DOI: 10.1093/glycob/cwv087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2015] [Accepted: 09/21/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Flagellin glycosylation impacts, in several documented cases, the functionality of bacterial flagella. The basis of flagellin glycosylation has been studied for various Gram-negative bacteria, but less is known about flagellin glycans of Gram-positive bacteria including Paenibacillus alvei, a secondary invader of honeybee colonies diseased with European foulbrood. Paenibacillus alvei CCM 2051(T) swarms vigorously on solidified culture medium, with swarming relying on functional flagella as evidenced by abolished biofilm formation of a non-motile P. alvei mutant defective in the flagellin protein Hag. Here, the glycobiology of the polar P. alvei flagella was investigated. Analysis on purified flagellin demonstrated that the 30-kDa Hag protein (PAV_2c01710) is modified with an O-linked trisaccharide comprised of one hexose and two N-acetyl-hexosamine residues, at three sites of glycosylation. Downstream of the hag gene on the bacterial chromosome, two open reading frames (PAV_2c01630, PAV_2c01640) encoding putative glycosyltransferases were shown to constitute a flagellin glycosylation island. Mutants defective in these genes exhibited altered migration in sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis as well as loss of extracellular flagella production and bacterial motility. This study reveals that flagellin glycosylation in P. alvei is pivotal to flagella formation and bacterial motility in vivo, and simultaneously identifies flagella glycosylation as a second protein O-glycosylation system in this bacterium, in addition to the well-investigated S-layer tyrosine O-glycosylation pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bettina Janesch
- Department of NanoBiotechnology, NanoGlycobiology Unit, Universität für Bodenkultur Wien, Muthgasse 11, Vienna A-1190, Austria
| | - Falko Schirmeister
- Department of Biomolecular Systems, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Potsdam 14424, Germany Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Arnimallee 22, Berlin 14195, Germany
| | - Daniel Maresch
- Department of Chemistry, Division of Biochemistry, Universität für Bodenkultur Wien, Muthgasse 18, Vienna A-1190, Austria
| | - Friedrich Altmann
- Department of Chemistry, Division of Biochemistry, Universität für Bodenkultur Wien, Muthgasse 18, Vienna A-1190, Austria
| | - Paul Messner
- Department of NanoBiotechnology, NanoGlycobiology Unit, Universität für Bodenkultur Wien, Muthgasse 11, Vienna A-1190, Austria
| | - Daniel Kolarich
- Department of Biomolecular Systems, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Potsdam 14424, Germany
| | - Christina Schäffer
- Department of NanoBiotechnology, NanoGlycobiology Unit, Universität für Bodenkultur Wien, Muthgasse 11, Vienna A-1190, Austria
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36
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Syutkin AS, Pyatibratov MG, Fedorov OV. Flagella of halophilic archaea: differences in supramolecular organization. BIOCHEMISTRY (MOSCOW) 2015; 79:1470-82. [PMID: 25749160 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297914130033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Archaeal flagella are similar functionally to bacterial flagella, but structurally they are completely different. Helical archaeal flagellar filaments are formed of protein subunits called flagellins (archaellins). Notwithstanding progress in studies of archaeal flagella achieved in recent years, many problems in this area are still unsolved. In this review, we analyze the formation of these supramolecular structures by the example of flagellar filaments of halophilic archaea. Recent data on the structure of the flagellar filaments demonstrate that their supramolecular organization differs considerably in different haloarchaeal species.
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Affiliation(s)
- A S Syutkin
- Institute of Protein Research, Russian Academy of Sciences, Pushchino, Moscow Region, 142290, Russia.
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37
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Maruyama Y, Kobayashi M, Murata K, Hashimoto W. Formation of a single polar flagellum by two distinct flagellar gene sets in Sphingomonas sp. strain A1. MICROBIOLOGY-SGM 2015; 161:1552-1560. [PMID: 26018545 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.000119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Gram-negative Sphingomonas sp. strain A1, originally identified as a non-motile and aflagellate bacterium, possesses two sets of genes required for flagellar formation. In this study, we characterized the flagellar genes and flagellum formation in strain A1. Flagellar gene cluster set I contained 35 flagellar genes, including one flagellin gene (p6), where the gene assembly structure resembled that required for the formation of lateral flagella in gammaproteobacteria. The set II flagellar genes were arranged in eight shorter clusters with 46 flagellar genes, including two flagellin genes (p5 and p5') and flhF, which is required for polar flagella. Our molecular phylogenetic analysis of the bacterial flagellins also demonstrated that, in contrast to p5 and p5', p6 was categorized as a lateral flagellin group. The motile phenotype appeared in strain A1 cells when they were subcultured on semisolid media. The motile strain A1 cells produced a single flagellum at the cell pole. DNA microarray analyses using non-motile and motile strain A1 cells indicated that flagellar formation was accompanied by increased transcription of both flagellar gene sets. The two flagellins p5 and p6 were major components of the flagellar filaments isolated from motile strain A1 cells, indicating that the polar flagellum is formed by lateral and non-lateral flagellins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yukie Maruyama
- Division of Food Science and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Uji, Kyoto 611-0011, Japan
| | - Masahiro Kobayashi
- Division of Food Science and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Uji, Kyoto 611-0011, Japan
| | - Kousaku Murata
- Division of Food Science and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Uji, Kyoto 611-0011, Japan
| | - Wataru Hashimoto
- Division of Food Science and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Uji, Kyoto 611-0011, Japan
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38
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Faulds-Pain A, Twine SM, Vinogradov E, Strong PCR, Dell A, Buckley AM, Douce GR, Valiente E, Logan SM, Wren BW. The post-translational modification of the Clostridium difficile flagellin affects motility, cell surface properties and virulence. Mol Microbiol 2014; 94:272-89. [PMID: 25135277 PMCID: PMC4441256 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.12755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/13/2014] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Clostridium difficile is a prominent nosocomial pathogen, proliferating and causing enteric disease in individuals with a compromised gut microflora. We characterized the post-translational modification of flagellin in C. difficile 630. The structure of the modification was solved by nuclear magnetic resonance and shown to contain an N-acetylglucosamine substituted with a phosphorylated N-methyl-l-threonine. A reverse genetics approach investigated the function of the putative four-gene modification locus. All mutants were found to have truncated glycan structures by LC-MS/MS, taking into account bioinformatic analysis, we propose that the open reading frame CD0241 encodes a kinase involved in the transfer of the phosphate to the threonine, the CD0242 protein catalyses the addition of the phosphothreonine to the N-acetylglucosamine moiety and CD0243 transfers the methyl group to the threonine. Some mutations affected motility and caused cells to aggregate to each other and abiotic surfaces. Altering the structure of the flagellin modification impacted on colonization and disease recurrence in a murine model of infection, showing that alterations in the surface architecture of C. difficile vegetative cells can play a significant role in disease. We show that motility is not a requirement for colonization, but that colonization was compromised when the glycan structure was incomplete.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Susan M Twine
- Vaccine Program, Human Health Therapeutics Portfolio, National Research CouncilOttawa, ON, K1A 0R6, Canada
| | - Evgeny Vinogradov
- Vaccine Program, Human Health Therapeutics Portfolio, National Research CouncilOttawa, ON, K1A 0R6, Canada
| | - Philippa C R Strong
- Vaccine Program, Human Health Therapeutics Portfolio, National Research CouncilOttawa, ON, K1A 0R6, Canada
| | - Anne Dell
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial CollegeLondon, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Anthony M Buckley
- Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, Glasgow Biomedical Research Centre, University of GlasgowGlasgow, UK
| | - Gillian R Douce
- Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, Glasgow Biomedical Research Centre, University of GlasgowGlasgow, UK
| | - Esmeralda Valiente
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical MedicineKeppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Susan M Logan
- Vaccine Program, Human Health Therapeutics Portfolio, National Research CouncilOttawa, ON, K1A 0R6, Canada
| | - Brendan W Wren
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical MedicineKeppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
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39
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Sun L, Dong Y, Shi M, Jin M, Zhou Q, Luo ZQ, Gao H. Two residues predominantly dictate functional difference in motility between Shewanella oneidensis flagellins FlaA and FlaB. J Biol Chem 2014; 289:14547-59. [PMID: 24733391 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m114.552000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Nearly half of flagellated microorganisms possess a multiple-flagellin system. Although a functional filament can be formed from one of multiple flagellins alone in many bacteria, it is more common that one flagellin is the major constituent and others contribute. Underlying mechanisms proposed for such scenarios cover flagellin regulation of various levels, including transcription, translation, post-translational modification, secretion, and filament assembly. In Shewanella oneidensis, the flagellar filament is composed of FlaA and FlaB flagellins; the latter is the major one in terms of motility. In this study, we showed that regulation of all levels except for filament assembly is indistinguishable between these two flagellins. Further analyses revealed that two amino acid residues predominantly dictated functional difference with respect to motility. Given that Shewanella prefer a solid surface-associated life style, of which filaments consisting of either FlaA or FlaB are equally supportive, we envision that roles of flagella in surface adhesion and formation of bacterial communities are particularly important for their survival and proliferation in these specific niches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linlin Sun
- From the Institute of Microbiology and College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China and
| | - Yangyang Dong
- From the Institute of Microbiology and College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China and
| | - Miaomiao Shi
- From the Institute of Microbiology and College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China and
| | - Miao Jin
- From the Institute of Microbiology and College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China and
| | - Qing Zhou
- the Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907
| | - Zhao-Qing Luo
- the Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907
| | - Haichun Gao
- From the Institute of Microbiology and College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China and
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Jia K, Zhang Y, Li Y. Identification and characterization of two functionally unknown genes involved in butanol tolerance of Clostridium acetobutylicum. PLoS One 2012; 7:e38815. [PMID: 22768047 PMCID: PMC3387226 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0038815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2012] [Accepted: 05/11/2012] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Solvents toxicity is a major limiting factor hampering the cost-effective biotechnological production of chemicals. In Clostridium acetobutylicum, a functionally unknown protein (encoded by SMB_G1518) with a hypothetical alcohol interacting domain was identified. Disruption of SMB_G1518 and/or its downstream gene SMB_G1519 resulted in increased butanol tolerance, while overexpression of SMB_G1518-1519 decreased butanol tolerance. In addition, SMB_G1518-1519 also influences the production of pyruvate:ferredoxin oxidoreductase (PFOR) and flagellar protein hag, the maintenance of cell motility. We conclude that the system of SMB_G1518-1519 protein plays a role in the butanol sensitivity/tolerance phenotype of C. acetobutylicum, and can be considered as potential targets for engineering alcohol tolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaizhi Jia
- Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yanping Zhang
- Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yin Li
- Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- * E-mail:
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Lambert C, Till R, Hobley L, Sockett RE. Mutagenesis of RpoE-like sigma factor genes in Bdellovibrio reveals differential control of groEL and two groES genes. BMC Microbiol 2012; 12:99. [PMID: 22676653 PMCID: PMC3464611 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2180-12-99] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2012] [Accepted: 06/07/2012] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus HD100 must regulate genes in response to a variety of environmental conditions as it enters, preys upon and leaves other bacteria, or grows axenically without prey. In addition to "housekeeping" sigma factors, its genome encodes several alternate sigma factors, including 2 Group IV-RpoE-like proteins, which may be involved in the complex regulation of its predatory lifestyle. RESULTS We find that one sigma factor gene, bd3314, cannot be deleted from Bdellovibrio in either predatory or prey-independent growth states, and is therefore possibly essential, likely being an alternate sigma 70. Deletion of one of two Group IV-like sigma factor genes, bd0881, affects flagellar gene regulation and results in less efficient predation, although not due to motility changes; deletion of the second, bd0743, showed that it normally represses chaperone gene expression and intriguingly we find an alternative groES gene is expressed at timepoints in the predatory cycle where intensive protein synthesis at Bdellovibrio septation, prior to prey lysis, will be occurring. CONCLUSIONS We have taken the first step in understanding how alternate sigma factors regulate different processes in the predatory lifecycle of Bdellovibrio and discovered that alternate chaperones regulated by one of them are expressed at different stages of the lifecycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carey Lambert
- Centre for Genetics and Genomics, School of Biology, University of Nottingham Medical School, QMC, Nottingham, NG7 2UH, UK
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Zhang WJ, Santini CL, Bernadac A, Ruan J, Zhang SD, Kato T, Li Y, Namba K, Wu LF. Complex spatial organization and flagellin composition of flagellar propeller from marine magnetotactic ovoid strain MO-1. J Mol Biol 2012; 416:558-70. [PMID: 22245577 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2011.12.065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2011] [Revised: 12/15/2011] [Accepted: 12/30/2011] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Marine magnetotactic ovoid bacterium MO-1 is capable of swimming along the geomagnetic field lines by means of its two sheathed flagellar bundles at a speed up to 300 μm/s. In this study, by using electron microscopy, we showed that, in each bundle, six individual flagella were organized in hexagon with a seventh in the middle. We identified 12 flagellin paralogs and 2 putative flagellins in the genome of MO-1. Among them, 13 were tandemly located on an ~ 17-kb segment while the 14th was on a separated locus. Using reverse transcription PCR and quantitative PCR, we found that all the 14 flagellin or putative flagellin genes were transcribed and that 2 of them were more abundantly expressed than others. A nLC (nanoliquid chromatography)-ESI (electrospray ionization)-MS/MS (mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry) mass spectrometry analysis identified all the 12 flagellin proteins in three glycosylated polypeptide bands resolved by one-dimensional denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and 10 of them in 21 spots obtained by means of two-dimensional electrophoresis of flagellar extracts. Most spots contained more than one flagellin, and eight of the ten identified flagellins existed in multiple isoforms. Taken together, these results show unprecedented complexity in the spatial organization and flagellin composition of the flagellar propeller. Such architecture is observed only for ovoid-coccoid, bilophotrichously flagellated magnetotactic bacteria living in marine sediments, suggesting a species and environmental specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei-Jia Zhang
- State Key Laboratories for Agrobiotechnology and College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
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