1
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Risser DD. Hormogonium Development and Motility in Filamentous Cyanobacteria. Appl Environ Microbiol 2023; 89:e0039223. [PMID: 37199640 PMCID: PMC10304961 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00392-23] [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] [Indexed: 05/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Filamentous cyanobacteria exhibit some of the greatest developmental complexity observed in the prokaryotic domain. This includes the ability to differentiate nitrogen-fixing cells known as heterocysts, spore-like akinetes, and hormogonia, which are specialized motile filaments capable of gliding on solid surfaces. Hormogonia and motility play critical roles in several aspects of the biology of filamentous cyanobacteria, including dispersal, phototaxis, the formation of supracellular structures, and the establishment of nitrogen-fixing symbioses with plants. While heterocyst development has been investigated extensively at the molecular level, much less is known about akinete or hormogonium development and motility. This is due, in part, to the loss of developmental complexity during prolonged laboratory culture in commonly employed model filamentous cyanobacteria. In this review, recent progress in understanding the molecular level regulation of hormogonium development and motility in filamentous cyanobacteria is discussed, with a focus on experiments performed using the genetically tractable model filamentous cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme, which retains the developmental complexity of field isolates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas D. Risser
- Department of Biology, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA
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2
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Hydrodynamic conditions affect the proteomic profile of marine biofilms formed by filamentous cyanobacterium. NPJ Biofilms Microbiomes 2022; 8:80. [PMID: 36253388 PMCID: PMC9576798 DOI: 10.1038/s41522-022-00340-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Proteomic studies on cyanobacterial biofilms can be an effective approach to unravel metabolic pathways involved in biofilm formation and, consequently, obtain more efficient biofouling control strategies. Biofilm development by the filamentous cyanobacterium Toxifilum sp. LEGE 06021 was evaluated on different surfaces, glass and perspex, and at two significant shear rates for marine environments (4 s-1 and 40 s-1). Higher biofilm development was observed at 4 s-1. Overall, about 1877 proteins were identified, and differences in proteome were more noticeable between hydrodynamic conditions than those found between surfaces. Twenty Differentially Expressed Proteins (DEPs) were found between 4 s-1 vs. 40 s-1. On glass, some of these DEPs include phage tail proteins, a carotenoid protein, cyanophynase glutathione-dependent formaldehyde dehydrogenase, and the MoaD/ThiS family protein, while on perspex, DEPs include transketolase, dihydroxy-acid dehydratase, iron ABC transporter substrate-binding protein and protein NusG. This study contributes to developing a standardized protocol for proteomic analysis of filamentous cyanobacterial biofilms. This kind of proteomic analysis can also be useful for different research fields, given the broad spectrum of promising secondary metabolites and added-value compounds produced by cyanobacteria, as well as for the development of new antibiofilm strategies.
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3
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Antonucci A, Reggente M, Roullier C, Gillen AJ, Schuergers N, Zubkovs V, Lambert BP, Mouhib M, Carata E, Dini L, Boghossian AA. Carbon nanotube uptake in cyanobacteria for near-infrared imaging and enhanced bioelectricity generation in living photovoltaics. NATURE NANOTECHNOLOGY 2022; 17:1111-1119. [PMID: 36097045 DOI: 10.1038/s41565-022-01198-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The distinctive properties of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) have inspired the development of many novel applications in the field of cell nanobiotechnology. However, studies thus far have not explored the effect of SWCNT functionalization on transport across the cell walls of prokaryotes. We explore the uptake of SWCNTs in Gram-negative cyanobacteria and demonstrate a passive length-dependent and selective internalization of SWCNTs decorated with positively charged biomolecules. We show that lysozyme-coated SWCNTs spontaneously penetrate the cell walls of a unicellular strain and a multicellular strain. A custom-built spinning-disc confocal microscope was used to image the distinct near-infrared SWCNT fluorescence within the autofluorescent cells, revealing a highly inhomogeneous distribution of SWCNTs. Real-time near-infrared monitoring of cell growth and division reveal that the SWCNTs are inherited by daughter cells. Moreover, these nanobionic living cells retained photosynthetic activity and showed an improved photo-exoelectrogenicity when incorporated into bioelectrochemical devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Antonucci
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering (ISIC), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Melania Reggente
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering (ISIC), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Charlotte Roullier
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering (ISIC), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Alice J Gillen
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering (ISIC), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Nils Schuergers
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering (ISIC), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Institute of Biology III, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Vitalijs Zubkovs
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering (ISIC), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Center for Electronics and Microtechnology (CSEM), Landquart, Switzerland
| | - Benjamin P Lambert
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering (ISIC), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Mohammed Mouhib
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering (ISIC), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Elisabetta Carata
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies (DiSTeBA), University of Salento, Lecce, Italy
| | - Luciana Dini
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology Charles Darwin, Sapienza University of Rome, CNR Nanotec, Lecce, Italy
| | - Ardemis A Boghossian
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering (ISIC), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.
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4
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Faluweki MK, Goehring L. Structural mechanics of filamentous cyanobacteria. J R Soc Interface 2022; 19:20220268. [PMID: 35892203 PMCID: PMC9326267 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2022.0268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Filamentous cyanobacteria, forming long strands of connected cells, are one of the earliest and most successful forms of life on Earth. They exhibit self-organized behaviour, forming large-scale patterns in structures like biomats and stromatolites. The mechanical properties of these rigid structures have contributed to their biological success and are important to applications like algae-based biofuel production. For active polymers like these cyanobacteria, one of the most important mechanical properties is the bending modulus, or flexural rigidity. Here, we quantify the bending stiffness of three species of filamentous cyanobacteria, of order Oscillatoriales, using a microfluidic flow device where single filaments are deflected by fluid flow. This is complemented by measurements of Young's modulus of the cell wall, via nanoindentation, and the cell wall thickness. We find that the stiffness of the cyanobacteria is well-captured by a simple model of a flexible rod, with most stress carried by a rigid outer wall. Finally, we connect these results to the curved shapes that these cyanobacteria naturally take while gliding, and quantify the forces generated internally to maintain this shape. The measurements can be used to model interactions between cyanobacteria, or with their environment, and how their collective behaviour emerges from such interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mixon K. Faluweki
- School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham NG11 8NS, UK
- Malawi Institute of Technology, Malawi University of Science and Technology, Limbe, Malawi
| | - Lucas Goehring
- School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham NG11 8NS, UK
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5
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Belton S, Lamari N, Jermiin LS, Mariscal V, Flores E, McCabe PF, Ng CKY. Genetic and lipidomic analyses suggest that Nostoc punctiforme, a plant-symbiotic cyanobacterium, does not produce sphingolipids. Access Microbiol 2022; 4:000306. [PMID: 35252750 PMCID: PMC8895605 DOI: 10.1099/acmi.0.000306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Sphingolipids, a class of amino-alcohol-based lipids, are well characterized in eukaryotes and in some anaerobic bacteria. However, the only sphingolipids so far identified in cyanobacteria are two ceramides (i.e., an acetylsphingomyelin and a cerebroside), both based on unbranched, long-chain base (LCB) sphingolipids in Scytonema julianum and Moorea producens, respectively. The first step in de novo sphingolipid biosynthesis is the condensation of l-serine with palmitoyl-CoA to produce 3-keto-diyhydrosphingosine (KDS). This reaction is catalyzed by serine palmitoyltransferase (SPT), which belongs to a small family of pyridoxal phosphate-dependent α-oxoamine synthase (AOS) enzymes. Based on sequence similarity to molecularly characterized bacterial SPT peptides, we identified a putative SPT (Npun_R3567) from the model nitrogen-fixing, plant-symbiotic cyanobacterium, Nostoc punctiforme strain PCC 73102 (ATCC 29133). Gene expression analysis revealed that Npun_R3567 is induced during late-stage diazotrophic growth in N. punctiforme. However, Npun_R3567 could not produce the SPT reaction product, 3-keto-diyhydrosphingosine (KDS), when heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli. This agreed with a sphingolipidomic analysis of N. punctiforme cells, which revealed that no LCBs or ceramides were present. To gain a better understanding of Npun_R3567, we inferred the phylogenetic position of Npun_R3567 relative to other bacterial AOS peptides. Rather than clustering with other bacterial SPTs, Npun_R3567 and the other cyanobacterial BioF homologues formed a separate, monophyletic group. Given that N. punctiforme does not appear to possess any other gene encoding an AOS enzyme, it is altogether unlikely that N. punctiforme is capable of synthesizing sphingolipids. In the context of cross-kingdom symbiosis signalling in which sphingolipids are emerging as important regulators, it appears unlikely that sphingolipids from N. punctiforme play a regulatory role during its symbiotic association with plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Belton
- UCD School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin D4, Ireland
- Present address: DBN Plant Molecular Biology Lab, National Botanic Gardens of Ireland, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Nadia Lamari
- Present address: Philip Morris International, Quai Jeanrenaud 3, 2000, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
- UCD Earth Institute, O’Brien Centre for Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin D4, Ireland
- UCD School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin D4, Ireland
| | - Lars S. Jermiin
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
- UCD Earth Institute, O’Brien Centre for Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin D4, Ireland
- UCD School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin D4, Ireland
| | - Vicente Mariscal
- Instituto de Bioquímica Vegetal y Fotosíntesis, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas and Universidad de Sevilla, cicCartuja, Avda. Américo Vespucio 49, 41092 Seville, Spain
| | - Enrique Flores
- Instituto de Bioquímica Vegetal y Fotosíntesis, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas and Universidad de Sevilla, cicCartuja, Avda. Américo Vespucio 49, 41092 Seville, Spain
| | - Paul F. McCabe
- UCD Earth Institute, O’Brien Centre for Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin D4, Ireland
- UCD Centre for Plant Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin D4, Ireland
- UCD School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin D4, Ireland
| | - Carl K. Y. Ng
- UCD Earth Institute, O’Brien Centre for Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin D4, Ireland
- UCD School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin D4, Ireland
- UCD Centre for Plant Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin D4, Ireland
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6
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Draft genome and description of Waterburya agarophytonicola gen. nov. sp. nov. (Pleurocapsales, Cyanobacteria): a seaweed symbiont. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 2021; 114:2189-2203. [PMID: 34674103 PMCID: PMC8580901 DOI: 10.1007/s10482-021-01672-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 10/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
This work introduces Waterburya agarophytonicola Bonthond and Shalygin gen. nov., sp. nov, a baeocyte producing cyanobacterium that was isolated from the rhodophyte Agarophyton vermiculophyllum (Ohmi) Gurgel et al., an invasive seaweed that has spread across the northern hemisphere. The new species genome reveals a diverse repertoire of chemotaxis and adhesion related genes, including genes coding for type IV pili assembly proteins and a high number of genes coding for filamentous hemagglutinin family (FHA) proteins. Among a genetic basis for the synthesis of siderophores, carotenoids and numerous vitamins, W. agarophytonicola is potentially capable of producing cobalamin (vitamin B12), for which A. vermiculophyllum is an auxotroph. With a taxonomic description of the genus and species and a draft genome, this study provides as a basis for future research, to uncover the nature of this geographically independent association between seaweed and cyanobiont.
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7
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Huo D, Li H, Cai F, Guo X, Qiao Z, Wang W, Yu G, Li R. Genome Evolution of Filamentous Cyanobacterium Nostoc Species: From Facultative Symbiosis to Free Living. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9102015. [PMID: 34683336 PMCID: PMC8539589 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9102015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Revised: 09/15/2021] [Accepted: 09/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In contrast to obligate bacteria, facultative symbiotic bacteria are mainly characterized by genome enlargement. However, the underlying relationship of this feature with adaptations to various habitats remains unclear. In this study, we used the global genome data of Nostoc strains, including 10 novel genomes sequenced in this study and 26 genomes available from public databases, and analyzed their evolutionary history. The evolutionary boundary of the real clade of Nostoc species was identified and was found to be consistent with the results of polyphasic taxonomy. The initial ancestral species of Nostoc was demonstrated to be consistent with a facultative symbiotic population. Further analyses revealed that Nostoc strains tended to shift from facultative symbiosis to a free-living one, along with an increase in genome sizes during the dispersal of each exterior branch. Intracellular symbiosis was proved to be essentially related to Nostoc evolution, and the adaptation of its members to free-living environments was coupled with a large preference for gene acquisition involved in gene repair and recombination. These findings provided unique evidence of genomic mechanisms by which homologous microbes adapt to distinct life manners and external environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Da Huo
- CAS Key Laboratory of Algal Biology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China; (D.H.); (H.L.); (F.C.); (X.G.)
| | - Hua Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Algal Biology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China; (D.H.); (H.L.); (F.C.); (X.G.)
- Academy of Plateau Science and Sustainability, Qinghai Normal University, Xining 810016, China
| | - Fangfang Cai
- CAS Key Laboratory of Algal Biology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China; (D.H.); (H.L.); (F.C.); (X.G.)
- School of Animal Science and Nutritional Engineering, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan 430023, China
| | - Xiaoyu Guo
- CAS Key Laboratory of Algal Biology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China; (D.H.); (H.L.); (F.C.); (X.G.)
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Zhiyi Qiao
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Aqua-Ecology and Aquaculture, College of Fisheries, Tianjin Agricultural University, Tianjin 300384, China;
| | - Weibo Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Aquatic Botany and Watershed Ecology, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, China;
| | - Gongliang Yu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Algal Biology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China; (D.H.); (H.L.); (F.C.); (X.G.)
- Correspondence: (G.Y.); (R.L.); Tel.: +86-027-68780067 (G.Y.); +86-027-68780080 (R.L.); Fax: +86-027-68780123 (G.Y.)
| | - Renhui Li
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325000, China
- Correspondence: (G.Y.); (R.L.); Tel.: +86-027-68780067 (G.Y.); +86-027-68780080 (R.L.); Fax: +86-027-68780123 (G.Y.)
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8
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Abstract
Species of the floating, freshwater fern Azolla form a well-characterized symbiotic association with the non-culturable cyanobacterium Nostoc azollae, which fixes nitrogen for the plant. However, several cyanobacterial strains have over the years been isolated and cultured from Azolla from all over the world. The genomes of 10 of these strains were sequenced and compared with each other, with other symbiotic cyanobacterial strains, and with similar strains that were not isolated from a symbiotic association. The 10 strains fell into three distinct groups: six strains were nearly identical to the non-symbiotic strain, Nostoc (Anabaena) variabilis ATCC 29413; three were similar to the symbiotic strain, Nostoc punctiforme, and one, Nostoc sp. 2RC, was most similar to non-symbiotic strains of Nostoc linckia. However, Nostoc sp. 2RC was unusual because it has three sets of nitrogenase genes; it has complete gene clusters for two distinct Mo-nitrogenases and an alternative V-nitrogenase. Genes for Mo-nitrogenase, sugar transport, chemotaxis and pili characterized all the symbiotic strains. Several of the strains infected the liverwort Blasia, including N. variabilis ATCC 29413, which did not originate from Azolla but rather from a sewage pond. However, only Nostoc sp. 2RC, which produced highly motile hormogonia, was capable of high-frequency infection of Blasia. Thus, some of these strains, which grow readily in the laboratory, may be useful in establishing novel symbiotic associations with other plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brenda S. Pratte
- Department of Biology, University of Missouri–St. Louis, One University Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63121, USA
| | - Teresa Thiel
- Department of Biology, University of Missouri–St. Louis, One University Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63121, USA
- *Correspondence: Teresa Thiel,
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9
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Conradi FD, Mullineaux CW, Wilde A. The Role of the Cyanobacterial Type IV Pilus Machinery in Finding and Maintaining a Favourable Environment. Life (Basel) 2020; 10:life10110252. [PMID: 33114175 PMCID: PMC7690835 DOI: 10.3390/life10110252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Revised: 10/18/2020] [Accepted: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Type IV pili (T4P) are proteinaceous filaments found on the cell surface of many prokaryotic organisms and convey twitching motility through their extension/retraction cycles, moving cells across surfaces. In cyanobacteria, twitching motility is the sole mode of motility properly characterised to date and is the means by which cells perform phototaxis, the movement towards and away from directional light sources. The wavelength and intensity of the light source determine the direction of movement and, sometimes in concert with nutrient conditions, act as signals for some cyanobacteria to form mucoid multicellular assemblages. Formation of such aggregates or flocs represents an acclimation strategy to unfavourable environmental conditions and stresses, such as harmful light conditions or predation. T4P are also involved in natural transformation by exogenous DNA, secretion processes, and in cellular adaptation and survival strategies, further cementing the role of cell surface appendages. In this way, cyanobacteria are finely tuned by external stimuli to either escape unfavourable environmental conditions via phototaxis, exchange genetic material, and to modify their surroundings to fit their needs by forming multicellular assemblies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian D. Conradi
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, UK; (F.D.C.); (C.W.M.)
| | - Conrad W. Mullineaux
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, UK; (F.D.C.); (C.W.M.)
| | - Annegret Wilde
- Institute of Biology III, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestr. 1, 79104 Freiburg; Germany
- Correspondence:
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10
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Miyata M, Robinson RC, Uyeda TQP, Fukumori Y, Fukushima SI, Haruta S, Homma M, Inaba K, Ito M, Kaito C, Kato K, Kenri T, Kinosita Y, Kojima S, Minamino T, Mori H, Nakamura S, Nakane D, Nakayama K, Nishiyama M, Shibata S, Shimabukuro K, Tamakoshi M, Taoka A, Tashiro Y, Tulum I, Wada H, Wakabayashi KI. Tree of motility - A proposed history of motility systems in the tree of life. Genes Cells 2020; 25:6-21. [PMID: 31957229 PMCID: PMC7004002 DOI: 10.1111/gtc.12737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2019] [Revised: 11/11/2019] [Accepted: 11/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Motility often plays a decisive role in the survival of species. Five systems of motility have been studied in depth: those propelled by bacterial flagella, eukaryotic actin polymerization and the eukaryotic motor proteins myosin, kinesin and dynein. However, many organisms exhibit surprisingly diverse motilities, and advances in genomics, molecular biology and imaging have showed that those motilities have inherently independent mechanisms. This makes defining the breadth of motility nontrivial, because novel motilities may be driven by unknown mechanisms. Here, we classify the known motilities based on the unique classes of movement‐producing protein architectures. Based on this criterion, the current total of independent motility systems stands at 18 types. In this perspective, we discuss these modes of motility relative to the latest phylogenetic Tree of Life and propose a history of motility. During the ~4 billion years since the emergence of life, motility arose in Bacteria with flagella and pili, and in Archaea with archaella. Newer modes of motility became possible in Eukarya with changes to the cell envelope. Presence or absence of a peptidoglycan layer, the acquisition of robust membrane dynamics, the enlargement of cells and environmental opportunities likely provided the context for the (co)evolution of novel types of motility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Makoto Miyata
- Department of Biology, Graduate School of Science, Osaka City University, Osaka, Japan.,The OCU Advanced Research Institute for Natural Science and Technology (OCARINA), Osaka City University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Robert C Robinson
- Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan.,School of Biomolecular Science and Engineering (BSE), Vidyasirimedhi Institute of Science and Technology (VISTEC), Rayong, Thailand
| | - Taro Q P Uyeda
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Fukumori
- Faculty of Natural System, Institute of Science and Engineering, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan.,WPI Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, Kakuma-machi, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Shun-Ichi Fukushima
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shin Haruta
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Michio Homma
- Division of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Kazuo Inaba
- Shimoda Marine Research Center, University of Tsukuba, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Masahiro Ito
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Toyo University, Gunma, Japan
| | - Chikara Kaito
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kentaro Kato
- Laboratory of Sustainable Animal Environment, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, Miyagi, Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Kenri
- Laboratory of Mycoplasmas and Haemophilus, Department of Bacteriology II, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Seiji Kojima
- Division of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Tohru Minamino
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Mori
- Institute for Frontier Life and Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Shuichi Nakamura
- Department of Applied Physics, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University, Miyagi, Japan
| | - Daisuke Nakane
- Department of Physics, Gakushuin University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Koji Nakayama
- Department of Microbiology and Oral Infection, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Masayoshi Nishiyama
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Kindai University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Satoshi Shibata
- Molecular Cryo-Electron Microscopy Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Katsuya Shimabukuro
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Ube College, Yamaguchi, Japan
| | - Masatada Tamakoshi
- Department of Molecular Biology, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Azuma Taoka
- Faculty of Natural System, Institute of Science and Engineering, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan.,WPI Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, Kakuma-machi, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Yosuke Tashiro
- Department of Engineering, Graduate School of Integrated Science and Technology, Shizuoka University, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Isil Tulum
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Hirofumi Wada
- Department of Physics, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Ritsumeikan University, Shiga, Japan
| | - Ken-Ichi Wakabayashi
- Laboratory for Chemistry and Life Science, Institute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Kanagawa, Japan
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11
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Beinart RA, Beaudoin DJ, Bernhard JM, Edgcomb VP. Insights into the metabolic functioning of a multipartner ciliate symbiosis from oxygen-depleted sediments. Mol Ecol 2018; 27:1794-1807. [PMID: 29271011 DOI: 10.1111/mec.14465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2017] [Revised: 11/21/2017] [Accepted: 11/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Symbioses between anaerobic or microaerophilic protists and prokaryotes are common in anoxic and oxygen-depleted habitats ranging from marine sediments to gastrointestinal tracts. Nevertheless, little is known about the mechanisms of metabolic interaction between partners. In these putatively syntrophic associations, consumption of fermentative end products (e.g., hydrogen) by the prokaryotic symbionts is thought to facilitate protistan anaerobic metabolism. Here, we employed metagenomic and metatranscriptomic sequencing of a microaerophilic or anaerobic karyorelictid ciliate and its prokaryotic symbionts from oxygen-depleted Santa Barbara Basin (CA, USA) sediments to assess metabolic coupling within this consortium. This sequencing confirmed the predominance of deltaproteobacterial symbionts from the Families Desulfobacteraceae and Desulfobulbaceae and suggested active symbiont reduction of host-provided sulphate, transfer of small organic molecules from host to symbionts and hydrogen cycling among the symbionts. In addition, patterns of gene expression indicated active cell division by the symbionts, their growth via autotrophic processes and nitrogen exchange with the ciliate host. Altogether, this research underscores the importance of symbiont metabolism to host fermentative metabolism and, thus, likely its success in anoxic and low-oxygen habitats, but also suggests ciliate-associated prokaryotes play a role in important biogeochemical processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- R A Beinart
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, USA
| | - D J Beaudoin
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, USA
| | - J M Bernhard
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, USA
| | - V P Edgcomb
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, USA
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Feathermoss and epiphytic Nostoc cooperate differently: expanding the spectrum of plant-cyanobacteria symbiosis. ISME JOURNAL 2017; 11:2821-2833. [PMID: 28800136 PMCID: PMC5702739 DOI: 10.1038/ismej.2017.134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2017] [Revised: 06/20/2017] [Accepted: 07/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Dinitrogen (N2)-fixation by cyanobacteria in symbiosis with feathermosses is the primary pathway of biological nitrogen (N) input into boreal forests. Despite its significance, little is known about the cyanobacterial gene repertoire and regulatory rewiring needed for the establishment and maintenance of the symbiosis. To determine gene acquisitions and regulatory changes allowing cyanobacteria to form and maintain this symbiosis, we compared genomically closely related symbiotic-competent and -incompetent Nostoc strains using a proteogenomics approach and an experimental set up allowing for controlled chemical and physical contact between partners. Thirty-two gene families were found only in the genomes of symbiotic strains, including some never before associated with cyanobacterial symbiosis. We identified conserved orthologs that were differentially expressed in symbiotic strains, including protein families involved in chemotaxis and motility, NO regulation, sulfate/phosphate transport, and glycosyl-modifying and oxidative stress-mediating exoenzymes. The physical moss–cyanobacteria epiphytic symbiosis is distinct from other cyanobacteria–plant symbioses, with Nostoc retaining motility, and lacking modulation of N2-fixation, photosynthesis, GS-GOGAT cycle and heterocyst formation. The results expand our knowledge base of plant–cyanobacterial symbioses, provide a model of information and material exchange in this ecologically significant symbiosis, and suggest new currencies, namely nitric oxide and aliphatic sulfonates, may be involved in establishing and maintaining the cyanobacteria–feathermoss symbiosis.
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Nagar E, Zilberman S, Sendersky E, Simkovsky R, Shimoni E, Gershtein D, Herzberg M, Golden SS, Schwarz R. Type 4 pili are dispensable for biofilm development in the cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus. Environ Microbiol 2017; 19:2862-2872. [PMID: 28585390 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.13814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2017] [Revised: 05/23/2017] [Accepted: 05/30/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The hair-like cell appendages denoted as type IV pili are crucial for biofilm formation in diverse eubacteria. The protein complex responsible for type IV pilus assembly is homologous with the type II protein secretion complex. In the cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942, the gene Synpcc7942_2071 encodes an ATPase homologue of type II/type IV systems. Here, we report that inactivation of Synpcc7942_2071 strongly affected the suite of proteins present in the extracellular milieu (exo-proteome) and eliminated pili observable by electron microscopy. These results support a role for this gene product in protein secretion as well as in pili formation. As we previously reported, inactivation of Synpcc7942_2071 enables biofilm formation and suppresses the planktonic growth of S. elongatus. Thus, pili are dispensable for biofilm development in this cyanobacterium, in contrast to their biofilm-promoting function in type IV pili-producing heterotrophic bacteria. Nevertheless, pili removal is not required for biofilm formation as evident by a piliated mutant of S. elongatus that develops biofilms. We show that adhesion and timing of biofilm development differ between the piliated and non-piliated strains. The study demonstrates key differences in the process of biofilm formation between cyanobacteria and well-studied type IV pili-producing heterotrophic bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elad Nagar
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, 5290002 Israel
| | - Shaul Zilberman
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, 5290002 Israel
| | - Eleonora Sendersky
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, 5290002 Israel
| | - Ryan Simkovsky
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Eyal Shimoni
- Weizmann Institute of Science, Electron Microscopy Unit, Rehovot, 7610001 Israel
| | - Diana Gershtein
- The Department of Desalination & Water Treatment, Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Sede Boqer Campus, Be'er Sheva 84990, Israel
| | - Moshe Herzberg
- The Department of Desalination & Water Treatment, Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Sede Boqer Campus, Be'er Sheva 84990, Israel
| | - Susan S Golden
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Rakefet Schwarz
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, 5290002 Israel
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15
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Sure S, Torriero AAJ, Gaur A, Li LH, Chen Y, Tripathi C, Adholeya A, Ackland ML, Kochar M. Identification and topographical characterisation of microbial nanowires in Nostoc punctiforme. Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek 2016; 109:475-80. [PMID: 26754102 DOI: 10.1007/s10482-015-0644-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2015] [Accepted: 12/30/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Extracellular pili-like structures (PLS) produced by cyanobacteria have been poorly explored. We have done detailed topographical and electrical characterisation of PLS in Nostoc punctiforme PCC 73120 using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and conductive atomic force microscopy (CAFM). TEM analysis showed that N. punctiforme produces two separate types of PLS differing in their length and diameter. The first type of PLS are 6-7.5 nm in diameter and 0.5-2 µm in length (short/thin PLS) while the second type of PLS are ~20-40 nm in diameter and more than 10 µm long (long/thick PLS). This is the first study to report long/thick PLS in N. punctiforme. Electrical characterisation of these two different PLS by CAFM showed that both are electrically conductive and can act as microbial nanowires. This is the first report to show two distinct PLS and also identifies microbial nanowires in N. punctiforme. This study paves the way for more detailed investigation of N. punctiforme nanowires and their potential role in cell physiology and symbiosis with plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandeep Sure
- TERI-Deakin Nanobiotechnology Centre, TERI Gram, The Energy and Resources Institute, Gual Pahari, Gurgaon-Faridabad Road, Gurgaon, Haryana, 122 001, India
| | - Angel A J Torriero
- Centre for Cellular & Molecular Biology, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, Melbourne, VIC, 3125, Australia
| | - Aditya Gaur
- TERI-Deakin Nanobiotechnology Centre, TERI Gram, The Energy and Resources Institute, Gual Pahari, Gurgaon-Faridabad Road, Gurgaon, Haryana, 122 001, India
| | - Lu Hua Li
- Institute for Frontier Materials, Deakin University, Geelong Waurn Ponds Campus, Geelong, VIC, 3216, Australia
| | - Ying Chen
- Institute for Frontier Materials, Deakin University, Geelong Waurn Ponds Campus, Geelong, VIC, 3216, Australia
| | - Chandrakant Tripathi
- TERI-Deakin Nanobiotechnology Centre, TERI Gram, The Energy and Resources Institute, Gual Pahari, Gurgaon-Faridabad Road, Gurgaon, Haryana, 122 001, India
| | - Alok Adholeya
- TERI-Deakin Nanobiotechnology Centre, TERI Gram, The Energy and Resources Institute, Gual Pahari, Gurgaon-Faridabad Road, Gurgaon, Haryana, 122 001, India
| | - M Leigh Ackland
- Centre for Cellular & Molecular Biology, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, Melbourne, VIC, 3125, Australia
| | - Mandira Kochar
- TERI-Deakin Nanobiotechnology Centre, TERI Gram, The Energy and Resources Institute, Gual Pahari, Gurgaon-Faridabad Road, Gurgaon, Haryana, 122 001, India.
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16
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Wilde A, Mullineaux CW. Motility in cyanobacteria: polysaccharide tracks and Type IV pilus motors. Mol Microbiol 2015; 98:998-1001. [PMID: 26447922 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.13242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/30/2015] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Motility in cyanobacteria is useful for purposes that range from seeking out favourable light environments to establishing symbioses with plants and fungi. No known cyanobacterium is equipped with flagella, but a diverse range of species is able to 'glide' or 'twitch' across surfaces. Cyanobacteria with this capacity range from unicellular species to complex filamentous forms, including species such as Nostoc punctiforme, which can generate specialised motile filaments called hormogonia. Recent work on the model unicellular cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 has shown that its means of propulsion has much in common with the twitching motility of heterotrophs such as Pseudomonas and Myxococcus. Movement depends on Type IV pili, which are extended, adhere to the substrate and then retract to pull the cell across the surface. Previous work on filamentous cyanobacteria suggested a very different mechanism, with movement powered by the directional extrusion of polysaccharide from pores close to the cell junctions. Now a new report by Khayatan and colleagues in this issue of Molecular Microbiology suggests that the motility of Nostoc hormogonia has much more in common with Synechocystis than was previously thought. In both cases, polysaccharide secretion is important for preparing the surface, but the directional motive force comes from Type IV pili.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annegret Wilde
- Institute of Biology III, University of Freiburg, D79104, Freiburg, Germany.,BIOSS Centre for Biological Signalling Studies, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Conrad W Mullineaux
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, E1 4NS, UK
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Khayatan B, Meeks JC, Risser DD. Evidence that a modified type IV pilus-like system powers gliding motility and polysaccharide secretion in filamentous cyanobacteria. Mol Microbiol 2015; 98:1021-36. [PMID: 26331359 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.13205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/03/2015] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
In filamentous cyanobacteria, the mechanism of gliding motility is undefined but posited to be driven by a polysaccharide secretion system known as the junctional pore complex (JPC). Recent evidence implies that the JPC is a modified type IV pilus-like structure encoded for in part by genes in the hps locus. To test this hypothesis, we conducted genetic, cytological and comparative genomics studies on hps and pil genes in Nostoc punctiforme, a species in which motility is restricted to transiently differentiated filaments called hormogonia. Inactivation of most hps and pil genes abolished motility and abolished or drastically reduced secretion of hormogonium polysaccharide, and the subcellular localization of several Pil proteins in motile hormogonia corresponds to the site of the junctional pore complex. The non-motile ΔhpsE-G strain, which lacks three glycosyltransferases that synthesize hormogonium polysaccharide, could be complemented to motility by the addition of medium conditioned by wild-type hormogonia. Based on this result, we speculate that secretion of hormogonium polysaccharide facilitates but does not provide the motive force for gliding. Both the Hps and Pil homologs characterized in this study are almost universally conserved among filamentous cyanobacteria, with the Hps homologs rarely found in unicellular strains. These results support the theory that Hps and Pil proteins compose the JPC, a type IV pilus-like nanomotor that drives motility and polysaccharide secretion in filamentous cyanobacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Behzad Khayatan
- Department of Biology, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA, 95211, USA
| | - John C Meeks
- Department of Microbiology, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Douglas D Risser
- Department of Biology, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA, 95211, USA
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18
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Soo RM, Woodcroft BJ, Parks DH, Tyson GW, Hugenholtz P. Back from the dead; the curious tale of the predatory cyanobacterium Vampirovibrio chlorellavorus. PeerJ 2015; 3:e968. [PMID: 26038723 PMCID: PMC4451040 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2015] [Accepted: 04/30/2015] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
An uncultured non-photosynthetic basal lineage of the Cyanobacteria, the Melainabacteria, was recently characterised by metagenomic analyses of aphotic environmental samples. However, a predatory bacterium, Vampirovibrio chlorellavorus, originally described in 1972 appears to be the first cultured representative of the Melainabacteria based on a 16S rRNA sequence recovered from a lyophilised co-culture of the organism. Here, we sequenced the genome of V. chlorellavorus directly from 36 year-old lyophilised material that could not be resuscitated confirming its identity as a member of the Melainabacteria. We identified attributes in the genome that likely allow V. chlorellavorus to function as an obligate predator of the microalga Chlorella vulgaris, and predict that it is the first described predator to use an Agrobacterium tumefaciens-like conjugative type IV secretion system to invade its host. V. chlorellavorus is the first cyanobacterium recognised to have a predatory lifestyle and further supports the assertion that Melainabacteria are non-photosynthetic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rochelle M Soo
- Australian Centre for Ecogenomics, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland , St Lucia, QLD , Australia
| | - Ben J Woodcroft
- Australian Centre for Ecogenomics, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland , St Lucia, QLD , Australia
| | - Donovan H Parks
- Australian Centre for Ecogenomics, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland , St Lucia, QLD , Australia
| | - Gene W Tyson
- Australian Centre for Ecogenomics, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland , St Lucia, QLD , Australia ; Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland , St Lucia, QLD , Australia
| | - Philip Hugenholtz
- Australian Centre for Ecogenomics, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland , St Lucia, QLD , Australia ; Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland , St Lucia, QLD , Australia
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Schuergers N, Wilde A. Appendages of the cyanobacterial cell. Life (Basel) 2015; 5:700-15. [PMID: 25749611 PMCID: PMC4390875 DOI: 10.3390/life5010700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2015] [Revised: 02/12/2015] [Accepted: 02/25/2015] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Extracellular non-flagellar appendages, called pili or fimbriae, are widespread in gram-negative bacteria. They are involved in many different functions, including motility, adhesion, biofilm formation, and uptake of DNA. Sequencing data for a large number of cyanobacterial genomes revealed that most of them contain genes for pili synthesis. However, only for a very few cyanobacteria structure and function of these appendages have been analyzed. Here, we review the structure and function of type IV pili in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 and analyze the distribution of type IV pili associated genes in other cyanobacteria. Further, we discuss the role of the RNA-chaperone Hfq in pilus function and the presence of genes for the chaperone-usher pathway of pilus assembly in cyanobacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nils Schuergers
- University of Freiburg, Institute of Biology III, Schänzlestr. 1, 79104 Freiburg, Germany.
| | - Annegret Wilde
- University of Freiburg, Institute of Biology III, Schänzlestr. 1, 79104 Freiburg, Germany.
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20
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Genetic analysis reveals the identity of the photoreceptor for phototaxis in hormogonium filaments of Nostoc punctiforme. J Bacteriol 2014; 197:782-91. [PMID: 25488296 DOI: 10.1128/jb.02374-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
In cyanobacterial Nostoc species, substratum-dependent gliding motility is confined to specialized nongrowing filaments called hormogonia, which differentiate from vegetative filaments as part of a conditional life cycle and function as dispersal units. Here we confirm that Nostoc punctiforme hormogonia are positively phototactic to white light over a wide range of intensities. N. punctiforme contains two gene clusters (clusters 2 and 2i), each of which encodes modular cyanobacteriochrome-methyl-accepting chemotaxis proteins (MCPs) and other proteins that putatively constitute a basic chemotaxis-like signal transduction complex. Transcriptional analysis established that all genes in clusters 2 and 2i, plus two additional clusters (clusters 1 and 3) with genes encoding MCPs lacking cyanobacteriochrome sensory domains, are upregulated during the differentiation of hormogonia. Mutational analysis determined that only genes in cluster 2i are essential for positive phototaxis in N. punctiforme hormogonia; here these genes are designated ptx (for phototaxis) genes. The cluster is unusual in containing complete or partial duplicates of genes encoding proteins homologous to the well-described chemotaxis elements CheY, CheW, MCP, and CheA. The cyanobacteriochrome-MCP gene (ptxD) lacks transmembrane domains and has 7 potential binding sites for bilins. The transcriptional start site of the ptx genes does not resemble a sigma 70 consensus recognition sequence; moreover, it is upstream of two genes encoding gas vesicle proteins (gvpA and gvpC), which also are expressed only in the hormogonium filaments of N. punctiforme.
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Abstract
Many bacteria glide smoothly on surfaces, despite having no discernable propulsive organelles on their surface. Recent experiments with Myxococcus xanthus and Flavobacterium johnsoniae show that both of these distantly related bacterial species glide using proteins that move in helical tracks, albeit with significantly different motility mechanisms. Both species utilize proton-motive force for movement. Although the motors that power gliding in M. xanthus have been identified, the F. johnsoniae motors remain to be discovered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beiyan Nan
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Mark J McBride
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, WI 53201, USA
| | - Jing Chen
- National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - David R Zusman
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - George Oster
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
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Cozy LM, Callahan SM. Thehmpchemotaxis cluster regulates gliding in the filamentous cyanobacteriumNostoc punctiforme. Mol Microbiol 2014; 92:213-6. [DOI: 10.1111/mmi.12570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/27/2014] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Loralyn M. Cozy
- Department of Microbiology; University of Hawaii; Honolulu HI 96822 USA
| | - Sean M. Callahan
- Department of Microbiology; University of Hawaii; Honolulu HI 96822 USA
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Risser DD, Chew WG, Meeks JC. Genetic characterization of thehmplocus, a chemotaxis-like gene cluster that regulates hormogonium development and motility inNostoc punctiforme. Mol Microbiol 2014; 92:222-33. [DOI: 10.1111/mmi.12552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/12/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Douglas D. Risser
- Department of Biology; University of the Pacific; Stockton CA 95211 USA
| | - William G. Chew
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics; University of California; Davis CA 95616 USA
| | - John C. Meeks
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics; University of California; Davis CA 95616 USA
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Santi C, Bogusz D, Franche C. Biological nitrogen fixation in non-legume plants. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2013; 111:743-67. [PMID: 23478942 PMCID: PMC3631332 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mct048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 259] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2012] [Accepted: 01/23/2013] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Nitrogen is an essential nutrient in plant growth. The ability of a plant to supply all or part of its requirements from biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) thanks to interactions with endosymbiotic, associative and endophytic symbionts, confers a great competitive advantage over non-nitrogen-fixing plants. SCOPE Because BNF in legumes is well documented, this review focuses on BNF in non-legume plants. Despite the phylogenic and ecological diversity among diazotrophic bacteria and their hosts, tightly regulated communication is always necessary between the microorganisms and the host plant to achieve a successful interaction. Ongoing research efforts to improve knowledge of the molecular mechanisms underlying these original relationships and some common strategies leading to a successful relationship between the nitrogen-fixing microorganisms and their hosts are presented. CONCLUSIONS Understanding the molecular mechanism of BNF outside the legume-rhizobium symbiosis could have important agronomic implications and enable the use of N-fertilizers to be reduced or even avoided. Indeed, in the short term, improved understanding could lead to more sustainable exploitation of the biodiversity of nitrogen-fixing organisms and, in the longer term, to the transfer of endosymbiotic nitrogen-fixation capacities to major non-legume crops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carole Santi
- Université de Perpignan, Via Domitia, Avenue Paul Alduy, 66100 Perpignan, France
| | - Didier Bogusz
- Equipe Rhizogenèse, UMR DIADE (IRD/UM2), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, 911 Avenue Agropolis, BP64501, 34394 Montpellier Cedex 5, France
| | - Claudine Franche
- Equipe Rhizogenèse, UMR DIADE (IRD/UM2), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, 911 Avenue Agropolis, BP64501, 34394 Montpellier Cedex 5, France
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Risser DD, Meeks JC. Comparative transcriptomics with a motility-deficient mutant leads to identification of a novel polysaccharide secretion system inNostoc punctiforme. Mol Microbiol 2013; 87:884-93. [DOI: 10.1111/mmi.12138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/18/2012] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Douglas D. Risser
- Department of Microbiology; University of California; Davis; CA; 95616; USA
| | - John C. Meeks
- Department of Microbiology; University of California; Davis; CA; 95616; USA
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Duggan PS, Thiel T, Adams DG. Symbiosis between the cyanobacterium Nostoc and the liverwort Blasia requires a CheR-type MCP methyltransferase. Symbiosis 2012. [DOI: 10.1007/s13199-012-0216-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Adams DG, Duggan PS. Signalling in Cyanobacteria–Plant Symbioses. SIGNALING AND COMMUNICATION IN PLANT SYMBIOSIS 2012. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-20966-6_5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
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28
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Díaz EM, Vicente-Manzanares M, Sacristan M, Vicente C, Legaz ME. Fungal lectin of Peltigera canina induces chemotropism of compatible Nostoc cells by constriction-relaxation pulses of cyanobiont cytoskeleton. PLANT SIGNALING & BEHAVIOR 2011; 6:1525-36. [PMID: 21897128 PMCID: PMC3256381 DOI: 10.4161/psb.6.10.16687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2011] [Revised: 06/30/2011] [Accepted: 07/06/2011] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
A glycosylated arginase acting as a fungal lectin from Peltigera canina is able to produce recruitment of cyanobiont Nostoc cells and their adhesion to the hyphal surface. This implies that the cyanobiont would develop organelles to motility towards the chemoattractant. However when visualized by transmission electron microscopy, Nostoc cells recently isolated from P. canina thallus do not reveal any motile, superficial organelles, although their surface was covered by small spindles and serrated layer related to gliding. The use of S-(3,4-dichlorobenzyl)isothiourea, blebbistatin, phalloidin and latrunculin A provide circumstantial evidence that actin microfilaments rather than MreB, the actin-like protein from prokaryota, and, probably, an ATPase which develops contractile function similar to that of myosin II, are involved in cell motility. These experimental facts, the absence of superficial elements (fimbriae, pili or flagellum) related to cell movement, and the appearance of sunken cells during of after movement verified by scanning electron microscopy, support the hypothesis that the motility of lichen cyanobionts could be achieved by contraction-relaxation episodes of the cytoskeleton induced by fungal lectin act as a chemoattractant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Maria Díaz
- Intercellular Communication in Plant Symbiosis Team; Faculty of Biology; Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Mara Sacristan
- Intercellular Communication in Plant Symbiosis Team; Faculty of Biology; Madrid, Spain
| | - Carlos Vicente
- Intercellular Communication in Plant Symbiosis Team; Faculty of Biology; Madrid, Spain
| | - Maria-Estrella Legaz
- Intercellular Communication in Plant Symbiosis Team; Faculty of Biology; Madrid, Spain
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Fujisawa T, Narikawa R, Okamoto S, Ehira S, Yoshimura H, Suzuki I, Masuda T, Mochimaru M, Takaichi S, Awai K, Sekine M, Horikawa H, Yashiro I, Omata S, Takarada H, Katano Y, Kosugi H, Tanikawa S, Ohmori K, Sato N, Ikeuchi M, Fujita N, Ohmori M. Genomic structure of an economically important cyanobacterium, Arthrospira (Spirulina) platensis NIES-39. DNA Res 2010; 17:85-103. [PMID: 20203057 PMCID: PMC2853384 DOI: 10.1093/dnares/dsq004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
A filamentous non-N2-fixing cyanobacterium, Arthrospira (Spirulina) platensis, is an important organism for industrial applications and as a food supply. Almost the complete genome of A. platensis NIES-39 was determined in this study. The genome structure of A. platensis is estimated to be a single, circular chromosome of 6.8 Mb, based on optical mapping. Annotation of this 6.7 Mb sequence yielded 6630 protein-coding genes as well as two sets of rRNA genes and 40 tRNA genes. Of the protein-coding genes, 78% are similar to those of other organisms; the remaining 22% are currently unknown. A total 612 kb of the genome comprise group II introns, insertion sequences and some repetitive elements. Group I introns are located in a protein-coding region. Abundant restriction-modification systems were determined. Unique features in the gene composition were noted, particularly in a large number of genes for adenylate cyclase and haemolysin-like Ca2+-binding proteins and in chemotaxis proteins. Filament-specific genes were highlighted by comparative genomic analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takatomo Fujisawa
- Bioresource Information Center, Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Technology and Evaluation, 2-10-49 Nishihara, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 151-0066, Japan
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Flores E, Herrero A. Compartmentalized function through cell differentiation in filamentous cyanobacteria. Nat Rev Microbiol 2010; 8:39-50. [PMID: 19966815 DOI: 10.1038/nrmicro2242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 280] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Within the wide biodiversity that is found in the bacterial world, Cyanobacteria represents a unique phylogenetic group that is responsible for a key metabolic process in the biosphere - oxygenic photosynthesis - and that includes representatives exhibiting complex morphologies. Many cyanobacteria are multicellular, growing as filaments of cells in which some cells can differentiate to carry out specialized functions. These differentiated cells include resistance and dispersal forms as well as a metabolically specialized form that is devoted to N(2) fixation, known as the heterocyst. In this Review we address cyanobacterial intercellular communication, the supracellular structure of the cyanobacterial filament and the basic principles that govern the process of heterocyst differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrique Flores
- Instituto de Bioqumica Vegetal y Fotosntesis, CSIC and Universidad de Sevilla, Amrico Vespucio 49, E41092 Seville, Spain.
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DNA microarray comparisons of plant factor- and nitrogen deprivation-induced Hormogonia reveal decision-making transcriptional regulation patterns in Nostoc punctiforme. J Bacteriol 2008; 190:7382-91. [PMID: 18790872 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00990-08] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Hormogonia are nongrowing filaments, motile by means of a gliding mechanism, that are produced by certain cyanobacteria. Their differentiation is induced by positive and negative factors for growth, such as deprivation of combined nitrogen (nitrogen stress induction [NSI]). In Nostoc punctiforme, they are also induced by the exudate (hormogonium-inducing factor [HIF]) of a symbiotic plant partner. Time course (0.5 to 24 h) transcription profiles were determined by DNA microarray assays for hormogonia of N. punctiforme following induction by HIF and NSI. Clustering analysis revealed both common and distinct transcriptional patterns for the two methods of induction. By 24 h, a common set of 1,328 genes was identified. This 24-h common set of genes arose by the transition of 474 genes from an 819-member common set of genes at 1 h after induction; 405 and 51 genes unique to the HIF and NSI groups at 1 h, respectively; and 398 genes differentially transcribed at later time points. The NSI hormogonia showed a transcriptional checkpoint at 12 h following induction in which up- and downregulated genes were transiently down- or upregulated, respectively. The transient changes in these 1,043 genes appeared to reflect a switch back to a vegetative growth state. Such a checkpoint was not seen in HIF hormogonia. Genes uniquely upregulated in HIF hormogonia included those encoding proteins hypothesized to synthesize a metabolite repressor of hormogonium differentiation. Approximately 34 to 42% of the 6,893 printed genes were differentially transcribed during hormogonium differentiation; about half of those genes were upregulated, and 1,034 genes responded within 0.5 h after induction. These collective results indicate extensive and rapid global changes in the transcription of specific genes during the differentiation of these specialized filaments.
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Abstract
Prokaryotic cells move through liquids or over moist surfaces by swimming, swarming, gliding, twitching or floating. An impressive diversity of motility mechanisms has evolved in prokaryotes. Movement can involve surface appendages, such as flagella that spin, pili that pull and Mycoplasma 'legs' that walk. Internal structures, such as the cytoskeleton and gas vesicles, are involved in some types of motility, whereas the mechanisms of some other types of movement remain mysterious. Regardless of the type of motility machinery that is employed, most motile microorganisms use complex sensory systems to control their movements in response to stimuli, which allows them to migrate to optimal environments.
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Mutation at different sites in the Nostoc punctiforme cyaC gene, encoding the multiple-domain enzyme adenylate cyclase, results in different levels of infection of the host plant Blasia pusilla. J Bacteriol 2007; 190:1843-7. [PMID: 18156269 DOI: 10.1128/jb.01321-07] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The filamentous cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme forms symbioses with plants. Disruption of the catalytic domain of the N. punctiforme adenylate cyclase (CyaC) significantly increased symbiotic competence, whereas reduced infectivity was observed in a mutant with a disruption close to the N terminus of CyaC. The total cellular cyclic AMP levels were significantly reduced in both mutants.
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Read N, Connell S, Adams DG. Nanoscale visualization of a fibrillar array in the cell wall of filamentous cyanobacteria and its implications for gliding motility. J Bacteriol 2007; 189:7361-6. [PMID: 17693519 PMCID: PMC2168455 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00706-07] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Many filamentous cyanobacteria are motile by gliding, which requires attachment to a surface. There are two main theories to explain the mechanism of gliding. According to the first, the filament is pushed forward by small waves that pass along the cell surface. In the second, gliding is powered by the extrusion of slime through pores surrounding each cell septum. We have previously shown that the cell walls of several motile cyanobacteria possess an array of parallel fibrils between the peptidoglycan and the outer membrane and have speculated that the function of this array may be to generate surface waves to power gliding. Here, we report on a study of the cell surface topography of two morphologically different filamentous cyanobacteria, using field emission gun scanning electron microscopy (FEGSEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). FEGSEM and AFM images of Oscillatoria sp. strain A2 confirmed the presence of an array of fibrils, visible as parallel corrugations on the cell surface. These corrugations were also visualized by AFM scanning of fully hydrated filaments under liquid; this has not been achieved before for filamentous bacteria. FEGSEM images of Nostoc punctiforme revealed a highly convoluted, not parallel, fibrillar array. We conclude that an array of parallel fibrils, beneath the outer membrane of Oscillatoria, may function in the generation of thrust in gliding motility. The array of convoluted fibrils in N. punctiforme may have an alternative function, perhaps connected with the increase in outer membrane surface area resulting from the presence of the fibrils.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Read
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Garstang Building, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
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