A chaperone in the HSP70 family controls production of extracellular fibrils in Myxococcus xanthus

DnaK duplication and specialization in bacteria correlates with increased proteome complexity

The chaperone 70 kDa heat shock protein (Hsp70) is important for cells from bacteria to humans to maintain proteostasis, and all eukaryotes and several prokaryotes encode Hsp70 paralogs. Although the mechanisms of Hsp70 function have been clearly illuminated, the function and evolution of Hsp70 paralogs is not well studied. DnaK is a highly conserved bacterial Hsp70 family. Here, we show that dnaK is present in 98.9% of bacterial genomes, and 6.4% of them possess two or more DnaK paralogs. We found that the duplication of dnaK is positively correlated with an increase in proteomic complexity (proteome size, number of domains). We identified the interactomes of the two DnaK paralogs of Myxococcus xanthus DK1622 (MxDnaKs), which revealed that they are mostly nonoverlapping, although both prefer α and β domain proteins. Consistent with the entire M. xanthus proteome, MxDnaK substrates have both significantly more multi-domain proteins and a higher isoelectric point than that of Escherichia coli, which encodes a single DnaK homolog. MxDnaK1 is transcriptionally upregulated in response to heat shock and prefers to bind cytosolic proteins, while MxDnaK2 is downregulated by heat shock and is more associated with membrane proteins. Using domain swapping, we show that the nucleotide-binding domain and the substrate-binding β domain are responsible for the significant differences in DnaK interactomes, and the nucleotide binding domain also determines the dimerization of MxDnaK2, but not MxDnaK1. Our work suggests that bacterial DnaK has been duplicated in order to deal with a more complex proteome, and that this allows evolution of distinct domains to deal with different subsets of target proteins.IMPORTANCEAll eukaryotic and ~40% of prokaryotic species encode multiple 70 kDa heat shock protein (Hsp70) homologs with similar but diversified functions. Here, we show that duplication of canonical Hsp70 (DnaK in prokaryotes) correlates with increasing proteomic complexity and evolution of particular regions of the protein. Using the Myxococcus xanthus DnaK duplicates as a case, we found that their substrate spectrums are mostly nonoverlapping, and are both consistent to that of Escherichia coli DnaK in structural and molecular characteristics, but show differential enrichment of membrane proteins. Domain/region swapping demonstrated that the nucleotide-binding domain and the β substrate-binding domain (SBDβ), but not the SBDα or disordered C-terminal tail region, are responsible for this functional divergence. This work provides the first direct evidence for regional evolution of DnaK paralogs.

During heat stress in Myxococcus xanthus, the CdbS PilZ domain protein, in concert with two PilZ-DnaK chaperones, perturbs chromosome organization and accelerates cell death

C-di-GMP is a bacterial second messenger that regulates diverse processes in response to environmental or cellular cues. The nucleoid-associated protein (NAP) CdbA in Myxococcus xanthus binds c-di-GMP and DNA in a mutually exclusive manner in vitro. CdbA is essential for viability, and CdbA depletion causes defects in chromosome organization, leading to a block in cell division and, ultimately, cell death. Most NAPs are not essential; therefore, to explore the paradoxical cdbA essentiality, we isolated suppressor mutations that restored cell viability without CdbA. Most mutations mapped to cdbS, which encodes a stand-alone c-di-GMP binding PilZ domain protein, and caused loss-of-function of cdbS. Cells lacking CdbA and CdbS or only CdbS were fully viable and had no defects in chromosome organization. CdbA depletion caused post-transcriptional upregulation of CdbS accumulation, and this CdbS over-accumulation was sufficient to disrupt chromosome organization and cause cell death. CdbA depletion also caused increased accumulation of CsdK1 and CsdK2, two unusual PilZ-DnaK chaperones. During CdbA depletion, CsdK1 and CsdK2, in turn, enabled the increased accumulation and toxicity of CdbS, likely by stabilizing CdbS. Moreover, we demonstrate that heat stress, possibly involving an increased cellular c-di-GMP concentration, induced the CdbA/CsdK1/CsdK2/CdbS system, causing a CsdK1- and CsdK2-dependent increase in CdbS accumulation. Thereby this system accelerates heat stress-induced chromosome mis-organization and cell death. Collectively, this work describes a unique system that contributes to regulated cell death in M. xanthus and suggests a link between c-di-GMP signaling and regulated cell death in bacteria.

Bacterial glycocalyx integrity drives multicellular swarm biofilm dynamism

Exopolysaccharide (EPS) layers on the bacterial cell surface are key determinants of biofilm establishment and maintenance, leading to the formation of higher-order 3D structures that confer numerous survival benefits to a cell community. In addition to a specific cell-associated EPS glycocalyx, we recently revealed that the social δ-proteobacterium Myxococcus xanthus secretes a novel biosurfactant polysaccharide (BPS) to the extracellular milieu. Together, secretion of the two polymers (EPS and BPS) is required for type IV pilus (T4P)-dependent swarm expansion via spatio-specific biofilm expression profiles. Thus the synergy between EPS and BPS secretion somehow modulates the multicellular lifecycle of M. xanthus. Herein, we demonstrate that BPS secretion functionally alters the EPS glycocalyx via destabilization of the latter, fundamentally changing the characteristics of the cell surface. This impacts motility behaviors at the single-cell level and the aggregative capacity of cells in groups via cell-surface EPS fibril formation as well as T4P production, stability, and positioning. These changes modulate the structure of swarm biofilms via cell layering, likely contributing to the formation of internal swarm polysaccharide architecture. Together, these data reveal the manner by which the combined secretion of two distinct polymers induces single-cell changes that modulate swarm biofilm communities.

Biosynthesis and function of cell-surface polysaccharides in the social bacterium Myxococcus xanthus

In bacteria, cell-surface polysaccharides fulfill important physiological functions, including interactions with the environment and other cells as well as protection from diverse stresses. The Gram-negative delta-proteobacterium Myxococcus xanthus is a model to study social behaviors in bacteria. M. xanthus synthesizes four cell-surface polysaccharides, i.e., exopolysaccharide (EPS), biosurfactant polysaccharide (BPS), spore coat polysaccharide, and O-antigen. Here, we describe recent progress in elucidating the three Wzx/Wzy-dependent pathways for EPS, BPS and spore coat polysaccharide biosynthesis and the ABC transporter-dependent pathway for O-antigen biosynthesis. Moreover, we describe the functions of these four cell-surface polysaccharides in the social life cycle of M. xanthus.

Bioinformatic and Functional Characterization of Hsp70s in Myxococcus xanthus

Hsp70 proteins are among the most ubiquitous chaperones and play important roles in maintaining proteostasis and resisting environmental stress. Multiple copies of Hsp70s are widely present in eukaryotic cells with redundant and divergent functions, but they have been less well investigated in prokaryotes. Myxococcus xanthus DK1622 is annotated as having many hsp70 genes. In this study, we performed a bioinformatic analysis of Hsp70 proteins and investigated the functions of six hsp70 genes in DK1622, including two genes that encode proteins with the conserved PRK00290 domain (MXAN_3192 and MXAN_6671) and four genes that encode proteins with the cl35085 or cd10170 domain. We found that only MXAN_3192 is essential for cell survival and heat shock induction. MXAN_3192, compared with the other hsp70 genes, has a high transcriptional level, far exceeding that of any other hsp70 gene, which, however, is not the reason for its essentiality. Deletion of MXAN_6671 (sglK) led to multiple deficiencies in development, social motility, and oxidative resistance, while deletion of each of the other four hsp70 genes decreased sporulation and oxidative resistance. MXAN_3192 or sglK, but not the other genes, restored the growth deficiency of the E. colidnaK mutant. Our results demonstrated that the PRK00290 proteins play a central role in the complex cellular functions of M. xanthus, while the other diverse Hsp70 superfamily homologues probably evolved as helpers with some unknown specific functions.

IMPORTANCE Hsp70 proteins are highly conserved chaperones that occur in all kingdoms of life. Multiple copies of Hsp70s are often present in genome-sequenced prokaryotes, especially taxa with complex life cycles, such as myxobacteria. We investigated the functions of six hsp70 genes in Myxococcus xanthus DK1622 and demonstrated that the two Hsp70 proteins with the PRK00290 domain play a central role in complex cellular functions in M. xanthus, while other Hsp70 proteins probably evolved as helpers with some unknown specific functions.

The type IV pilus assembly ATPase PilB functions as a signaling protein to regulate exopolysaccharide production in Myxococcus xanthus

Myxococcus xanthus possesses a form of surface motility powered by the retraction of the type IV pilus (T4P). Additionally, exopolysaccharide (EPS), the major constituent of bacterial biofilms, is required for this T4P-mediated motility in M. xanthus as the putative trigger of T4P retraction. The results here demonstrate that the T4P assembly ATPase PilB functions as an intermediary in the EPS regulatory pathway composed of the T4P upstream of the Dif signaling proteins in M. xanthus. A suppressor screen isolated a pilB mutation that restored EPS production to a T4P⁻ mutant. An additional PilB mutant variant, which is deficient in ATP hydrolysis and T4P assembly, supports EPS production without the T4P, indicating PilB can regulate EPS production independently of its function in T4P assembly. Further analysis confirms that PilB functions downstream of the T4P filament but upstream of the Dif proteins. In vitro studies suggest that the nucleotide-free form of PilB assumes the active signaling conformation in EPS regulation. Since M. xanthus PilB possesses conserved motifs with high affinity for c-di-GMP binding, the findings here suggest that c-di-GMP can regulate both motility and biofilm formation through a single effector in this surface-motile bacterium.

Exposure of Bacterial Biofilms to Electrical Current Leads to Cell Death Mediated in Part by Reactive Oxygen Species

Bacterial biofilms may form on indwelling medical devices such as prosthetic joints, heart valves and catheters, causing challenging-to-treat infections. We have previously described the ‘electricidal effect’, in which bacterial biofilms are decreased following exposure to direct electrical current. Herein, we sought to determine if the decreased bacterial quantities are due to detachment of biofilms or cell death and to investigate the role that reactive oxygen species (ROS) play in the observed effect. Using confocal and electron microscopy and flow cytometry, we found that direct current (DC) leads to cell death and changes in the architecture of biofilms formed by Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) appear to play a role in DC-associated cell death, as there was an increase in ROS-production by Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis biofilms following exposure to DC. An increase in the production of ROS response enzymes catalase and superoxide dismutase (SOD) was observed for S. aureus, S. epidermidis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms following exposure to DC. Additionally, biofilms were protected from cell death when supplemented with antioxidants and oxidant scavengers, including catalase, mannitol and Tempol. Knocking out SOD (sodAB) in P. aeruginosa led to an enhanced DC effect. Microarray analysis of P. aeruginosa PAO1 showed transcriptional changes in genes related to the stress response and cell death. In conclusion, the electricidal effect results in death of bacteria in biofilms, mediated, at least in part, by production of ROS.

Multiple chaperonins in bacteria--novel functions and non-canonical behaviors

Chaperonins are a class of molecular chaperones that assemble into a large double ring architecture with each ring constituting seven to nine subunits and enclosing a cavity for substrate encapsulation. The well-studied Escherichia coli chaperonin GroEL binds non-native substrates and encapsulates them in the cavity thereby sequestering the substrates from unfavorable conditions and allowing the substrates to fold. Using this mechanism, GroEL assists folding of about 10-15 % of cellular proteins. Surprisingly, about 30 % of the bacteria express multiple chaperonin genes. The presence of multiple chaperonins raises questions on whether they increase general chaperoning ability in the cell or have developed specific novel cellular roles. Although the latter view is widely supported, evidence for the former is beginning to appear. Some of these chaperonins can functionally replace GroEL in E. coli and are generally indispensable, while others are ineffective and likewise are dispensable. Additionally, moonlighting functions for several chaperonins have been demonstrated, indicating a functional diversity among the chaperonins. Furthermore, proteomic studies have identified diverse substrate pools for multiple chaperonins. We review the current perception on multiple chaperonins and their physiological and functional specificities.

Cyclic Di-GMP Regulates Type IV Pilus-Dependent Motility in Myxococcus xanthus

The nucleotide-based second messenger bis-(3′-5′)-cyclic dimeric GMP (c-di-GMP) is involved in regulating a plethora of processes in bacteria that are typically associated with lifestyle changes. Myxococcus xanthus undergoes major lifestyle changes in response to nutrient availability, with the formation of spreading colonies in the presence of nutrients and spore-filled fruiting bodies in the absence of nutrients. Here, we investigated the function of c-di-GMP in M. xanthus and show that this bacterium synthesizes c-di-GMP during growth. Manipulation of the c-di-GMP level by expression of either an active, heterologous diguanylate cyclase or an active, heterologous phosphodiesterase correlated with defects in type IV pilus (T4P)-dependent motility, whereas gliding motility was unaffected. An increased level of c-di-GMP correlated with reduced transcription of the pilA gene (which encodes the major pilin of T4P), reduced the assembly of T4P, and altered cell agglutination, whereas a decreased c-di-GMP level correlated with altered cell agglutination. The systematic inactivation of the 24 genes in M. xanthus encoding proteins containing GGDEF, EAL, or HD-GYP domains, which are associated with c-di-GMP synthesis, degradation, or binding, identified three genes encoding proteins important for T4P-dependent motility, whereas all mutants had normal gliding motility. Purified DmxA had diguanylate cyclase activity, whereas the hybrid histidine protein kinases TmoK and SgmT, each of which contains a GGDEF domain, did not have diguanylate cyclase activity. These results demonstrate that c-di-GMP is important for T4P-dependent motility in M. xanthus.

IMPORTANCE We provide the first direct evidence that M. xanthus synthesizes c-di-GMP and demonstrate that c-di-GMP is important for T4P-dependent motility, whereas we did not obtain evidence that c-di-GMP regulates gliding motility. The data presented uncovered a novel mechanism for regulation of T4P-dependent motility, in which increased levels of c-di-GMP inhibit transcription of the pilA gene (which encodes the major pilin of T4P), ultimately resulting in the reduced assembly of T4P. Moreover, we identified an enzymatically active diguanylate cyclase that is important for T4P-dependent motility.

The Hsp70-like StkA functions between T4P and Dif signaling proteins as a negative regulator of exopolysaccharide in Myxococcus xanthus

Myxococcus xanthus displays a form of surface motility known as social (S) gliding. It is mediated by the type IV pilus (T4P) and requires the exopolysaccharide (EPS) to function. It is clear that T4P retraction powers S motility. EPS on a neighboring cell or deposited on a gliding surface is proposed to anchor the distal end of a pilus and trigger T4P retraction at its proximal end. Inversely, T4P has been shown to regulate EPS production upstream of the Dif signaling pathway. Here we describe the isolation of two Tn insertions at the stk locus which had been known to play roles in cellular cohesion and formation of cell groups. An insertion in stkA (MXAN_3474) was identified based on its ability to restore EPS to a pilA deletion mutant. The stkA encodes a DnaK or Hsp70 homolog and it is upstream of stkB (MXAN_3475) and stkC (MXAN_3476). A stkB insertion was identified in a separate genetic screen because it eliminated EPS production of an EPS(+) parental strain. Our results with in-frame deletions of these three stk genes indicated that the stkA mutant produced increased level of EPS while stkB and stkC mutants produced less EPS relative to the wild type. S motility and developmental aggregation were affected by deletions of stkA and stkB but only minimally by the deletion of stkC. Genetic epistasis indicated that StkA functions downstream of T4P but upstream of the Dif proteins as a negative regulator of EPS production in M. xanthus.

Phenotypic profiling of ABC transporter coding genes in Myxococcus xanthus

Information about a gene sometimes can be deduced by examining the impact of its mutation on phenotype. However, the genome-scale utility of the method is limited because, for nearly all model organisms, the majority of mutations result in little or no observable phenotypic impact. The cause of this is often attributed to robustness or redundancy within the genome, but that is only one plausible hypothesis. We examined a standard set of phenotypic traits, and applied statistical methods commonly used in the study of natural variants to an engineered mutant strain collection representing disruptions in 180 of the 192 ABC transporters within the bacterium Myxococcus xanthus. These strains display continuous variation in their phenotypic distributions, with a small number of “outlier” strains at both phenotypic extremes, and the majority within a confidence interval about the mean that always includes wild type. Correlation analysis reveals substantial pleiotropy, indicating that the traits do not represent independent variables. The traits measured in this study co-cluster with expression profiles, thereby demonstrating that these changes in phenotype correspond to changes at the molecular level, and therefore can be indirectly connected to changes in the genome. However, the continuous distributions, the pleiotropy, and the placement of wild type always within the confidence interval all indicate that this standard set of M. xanthus phenotypic assays is measuring a narrow range of partially overlapping traits that do not directly reflect fitness. This is likely a significant cause of the observed small phenotypic impact from mutation, and is unrelated to robustness and redundancy.

Type IV pilus proteins form an integrated structure extending from the cytoplasm to the outer membrane

The bacterial type IV pilus (T4P) is the strongest biological motor known to date as its retraction can generate forces well over 100 pN. Myxococcus xanthus, a δ-proteobacterium, provides a good model for T4P investigations because its social (S) gliding motility is powered by T4P. In this study, the interactions among M. xanthus T4P proteins were investigated using genetics and the yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) system. Our genetic analysis suggests that there is an integrated T4P structure that crosses the inner membrane (IM), periplasm and the outer membrane (OM). Moreover, this structure exists in the absence of the pilus filament. A systematic Y2H survey provided evidence for direct interactions among IM and OM proteins exposed to the periplasm. For example, the IM lipoprotein PilP interacted with its cognate OM protein PilQ. In addition, interactions among T4P proteins from the thermophile Thermus thermophilus were investigated by Y2H. The results indicated similar protein-protein interactions in the T4P system of this non-proteobacterium despite significant sequence divergence between T4P proteins in T. thermophilus and M. xanthus. The observations here support the model of an integrated T4P structure in the absence of a pilus in diverse bacterial species.

MasABK proteins interact with proteins of the type IV pilin system to affect social motility of Myxococcus xanthus

Gliding motility is critical for normal development of spore-filled fruiting bodies in the soil bacterium Myxococcus xanthus. Mutations in mgl block motility and development but one mgl allele can be suppressed by a mutation in masK, the last gene in an operon adjacent to the mgl operon. Deletion of the entire 5.5 kb masABK operon crippled gliding and fruiting body development and decreased sporulation. Expression of pilAGHI, which encodes type IV pili (TFP) components essential for social (S) gliding, several cryptic pil genes, and a LuxR family protein were reduced significantly in the Δmas mutant while expression of the myxalamide operon was increased significantly. Localization and two-hybrid analysis suggest that the three Mas proteins form a membrane complex. MasA-PhoA fusions confirmed that MasA is an integral cytoplasmic membrane protein with a ≈100 amino acid periplasmic domain. Results from yeast two-hybrid assays showed that MasA interacts with the lipoprotein MasB and MasK, a protein kinase and that MasB and MasK interact with one another. Additionally, yeast two-hybrid analysis revealed a physical interaction between two gene products of the mas operon, MasA and MasB, and PilA. Deletion of mas may be accompanied by compensatory mutations since complementation of the Δmas social gliding and developmental defects required addition of both pilA and masABK.

Myxobacterial tools for social interactions

Myxobacteria exhibit complex social traits during which large populations of cells coordinate their behaviors. An iconic example is their response to starvation: thousands of cells move by gliding motility to build a fruiting body in which vegetative cells differentiate into spores. Here we review mechanisms that the model species Myxococcus xanthus uses for cell-cell interactions, with a focus on developmental signaling and social gliding motility. We also discuss a newly discovered cell-cell interaction whereby myxobacteria exchange their outer membrane (OM) proteins and lipids. The mechanism of OM transfer requires physical contact between aligned cells on a hard surface and is apparently mediated by OM fusion. The TraA and TraB proteins are required in both donor and recipient cells for transfer, suggesting bidirectional exchange, and TraA is thought to serve as a cell surface adhesin. OM exchange results in phenotypic changes that can alter gliding motility and development and is proposed to represent a novel microbial interacting platform to coordinate multicellular activities.

The clpB gene is involved in the stress response of Myxococcus xanthus during vegetative growth and development

The Clp/HSP100 family of molecular chaperones is ubiquitous in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. These proteins play important roles in refolding, disaggregating and degrading proteins damaged by stress. As a subclass of the Clp/HSP100 family, ClpB has been shown to be involved in various stress responses as well as other functions in bacteria. In the present study, we investigated the role of a predicted ClpB-encoding gene, MXAN5092, in the stress response during vegetative growth and development of Myxococcus xanthus. Transcriptional analysis confirmed induction of this clpB homologue under different stress conditions, and further phenotypic analysis revealed that an in-frame deletion mutant of MXAN5092 was more sensitive to various stress treatments than the wild-type strain during vegetative growth. Moreover, the absence of the MXAN5092 gene resulted in decreased heat tolerance of myxospores, indicating the involvement of this clpB homologue in the stress response during the development of myxospores. The M. xanthus recombinant ClpB (MXAN5092) protein also showed a general chaperone activity in vitro. Overall, our genetic and phenotypic analysis of the predicted ATP-dependent chaperone protein ClpB (MXAN5092) demonstrated that it functions as a chaperone protein and plays an important role in cellular stress tolerance during both vegetative growth and development of M. xanthus.

A Clp/Hsp100 chaperone functions in Myxococcus xanthus sporulation and self-organization

The Clp/Hsp100 proteins are chaperones that play a role in protein degradation and reactivation. In bacteria, they exhibit a high degree of pleiotropy, affecting both individual and multicellular phenotypes. In this article, we present the first characterization of a Clp/Hsp100 homolog in Myxococcus xanthus (MXAN_4832 gene locus). Deletion of MXAN_4832 causes defects in both swarming and aggregation related to cell motility and the production of fibrils, which are an important component of the extracellular matrix of a swarm. The deletion also affects the formation of myxospores during development, causing them to become sensitive to heat. The protein product of MXAN_4832 can act as a chaperone in vitro, providing biochemical evidence in support of our hypothesis that MXAN_4832 is a functional Clp/Hsp100 homolog. There are a total of 12 Clp/Hsp100 homologs in M. xanthus, including MXAN_4832, and, based on its mutational and biochemical characterization, they may well represent an important group.

Gliding motility revisited: how do the myxobacteria move without flagella?

In bacteria, motility is important for a wide variety of biological functions such as virulence, fruiting body formation, and biofilm formation. While most bacteria move by using specialized appendages, usually external or periplasmic flagella, some bacteria use other mechanisms for their movements that are less well characterized. These mechanisms do not always exhibit obvious motility structures. Myxococcus xanthus is a motile bacterium that does not produce flagella but glides slowly over solid surfaces. How M. xanthus moves has remained a puzzle that has challenged microbiologists for over 50 years. Fortunately, recent advances in the analysis of motility mutants, bioinformatics, and protein localization have revealed likely mechanisms for the two M. xanthus motility systems. These results are summarized in this review.

PilA localization affects extracellular polysaccharide production and fruiting body formation in Myxococcus xanthus

Myxococcus xanthus is a Gram-negative bacterium capable of complex developmental processes involving vegetative swarming and fruiting body formation. Social (S-) gliding motility, one of the two motility systems used by M. xanthus, requires at least two cell surface structures: type IV pili (TFP) and extracellular polysaccharides (EPS). Extended TFP that are composed of thousands of copies of PilA retract upon binding to EPS and thereby pull the cell forward. TFP also act as external sensor to regulate EPS production. In this study, we generated a random PilA mutant library and identified one derivative, SW1066, which completely failed to undergo developmental processes. Detailed characterization revealed that SW1066 produced very little EPS but wild-type amounts of PilA. These mutated PilA subunits, however, are unable to assemble into functional TFP despite their ability to localize to the membrane. By preventing the mutated PilA of SW1066 to translocate from the cytoplasm to the membrane, fruiting body formation and EPS production were restored to the levels observed in mutant strains lacking PilA. This apparent connection between PilA membrane accumulation and reduction in surface EPS implies that specific cellular PilA localization are required to maintain the EPS level necessary to sustain normal S-motility in M. xanthus.

Myxococcus xanthus viability depends on groEL supplied by either of two genes, but the paralogs have different functions during heat shock, predation, and development

Myxococcus xanthus DK1622 contains two paralogous groEL gene loci that possess both different sequences and different organizations within the genome. Deletion of either one of these two genes alone does not affect cell viability. However, deletion of both groEL genes results in cell death unless a complemented groEL1 or groEL2 gene is present. The groEL1 gene was determined to be essential for cell survival under heat shock conditions; a strain with mutant groEL2 caused cells to be more sensitive than the wild-type strain to higher temperatures. Mutants with a single deletion of either groEL1 (MXAN_4895) or groEL2 (MXAN_4467) had a growth curve similar to that of the wild-type strain DK1622 in medium containing hydrolyzed proteins as the substrate. However, when cells were cultured on medium containing either Escherichia coli cells or casein as the substrate, deletion of groEL2, but not groEL1, led to a deficiency in cell predation and macromolecular feeding. Furthermore, groEL1 was found to play an indispensable role in the development and sporulation of cells, but deletion of groEL2 had no visible effects. Our results suggest that, although alternatively required for cell viability, the products of the two groEL genes have divergent functions in the multicellular social life cycle of M. xanthus DK1622.

Independence and interdependence of Dif and Frz chemosensory pathways in Myxococcus xanthus chemotaxis

Dif and Frz, two Myxococcus xanthus chemosensory pathways, are required in phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) chemotaxis for excitation and adaptation respectively. DifA and FrzCD, the homologues of methyl-accepting chemoreceptors in the two pathways, were examined for methylation in the context of chemotaxis and inter-pathway interactions. Evidence indicates that DifA may not undergo methylation, but signals transmitting through DifA do modulate FrzCD methylation. Results also revealed that M. xanthus possesses Dif-dependent and Dif-independent PE-sensing mechanisms. Previous studies showed that FrzCD methylation is decreased by negative chemostimuli but increased by attractants such as PE. Results here demonstrate that the Dif-dependent sensory mechanism suppresses the increase in FrzCD methylation in attractant response and elevates FrzCD methylation upon negative stimulation. In other words, FrzCD methylation is governed by opposing forces from Dif-dependent and Dif-independent sensing mechanisms. We propose that the Dif-independent but Frz-dependent PE sensing leads to increases in FrzCD methylation and subsequent adaptation, while the Dif-dependent PE signalling suppresses or diminishes the increase in FrzCD methylation to decelerate or delay adaptation. We contend that these antagonistic interactions are crucial for effective chemotaxis in this gliding bacterium to ensure that adaptation does not occur too quickly relative to the slow speed of M. xanthus movement.

Triple mutants uncover three new genes required for social motility in Myxococcus xanthus

The bacterium Myxococcus xanthus glides over surfaces using two different locomotive mechanisms, called S (social) and A (adventurous) motility that enable cells to move both as groups and as individuals. Neither mechanism involves flagella. The functions of these two motors are coordinated by the activity of a small Ras-like protein, encoded by the mglA gene. The results of previous studies of a second-site suppressor of the mglA-8 missense mutation masK-815 indicate that MglA interacts with a protein tyrosine kinase, MasK, to control social motility. Sequence analysis of the sites of 12 independent insertions of the transposon magellan-4 that result in the loss of motility in an M. xanthus mglA-8 masK-815 double mutant shows that nine of these 12 insertions are in genes known to be required for S gliding motility. This result confirms that the masK-815 suppressor restores S but not A motility. Three of the 12 insertions define three new genes required for S motility and show that the attachment of heptose to the lipopolysaccharide inner core, an ortholog of the CheR methyltransferase, and a large protein with YD repeat motifs, are required for S motility. When these three insertions are backcrossed into an otherwise wild-type genetic background, their recombinants are found to have defects in S, but not, A motility. The spectrum of magellan-4 insertions that lead to the loss of S motility in the mglA-8 masK-815 double mutant background is different than that resulting from a previous mutant hunt starting with a different (A mutant) genetic background, suggesting that the number of genes required for S motility in M. xanthus is quite large.

FibA and PilA act cooperatively during fruiting body formation of Myxococcus xanthus

The extracellular matrix (ECM) of Myxococcus xanthus is essential for social (S-) motility and fruiting body formation. An ECM-bound protein, FibA, is homologous to M4 zinc metalloproteases and is important for stimulation by a phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) chemoattractant and for formation of discrete aggregation foci. In this work, we demonstrate that a correlation exists between a reduced ability to respond to PE and the observed defects in fruiting body morphogenesis. Furthermore, the fibA aggregation defect is accentuated by the absence of either PilA, the structural subunit of type IV pili, or DifD, a chemosensory response regulator. The inability to form fruiting bodies is not due to a loss of S-motility, but rather the loss of PilA and pili as pilT fibA mutants form fruiting bodies. The FibA active site residue E342 is important for fruiting body morphogenesis in the absence of PilA. Mutants exhibiting defects in fruiting body morphogenesis also produce fewer viable spores. It is proposed that FibA and PilA act as extracellular sensors for developmental signals.

Type IV pili function upstream of the Dif chemotaxis pathway in Myxococcus xanthus EPS regulation

The developmental bacterium Myxococcus xanthus utilizes gliding motility to aggregate during the formation of multicellular fruiting bodies. The social (S) component of M. xanthus gliding motility requires at least two extracellular surface structures, type IV pili (Tfp) and the fibril polysaccharide or exopolysaccharide (EPS). Retraction of Tfp is proposed to power S motility and EPS from neighbouring cells is suggested to provide an anchor and trigger for Tfp retraction. The production of EPS in M. xanthus is regulated in part by the Dif chemosensory pathway; however, the input signal for the Dif pathway in EPS regulation remains to be uncovered. Using a genetic approach combined with quantitative and qualitative analysis, we demonstrate here that Tfp function upstream of the Dif proteins in regulating EPS production. The requirement of Tfp for the production of EPS was verified using various classes of Tfp mutants. Construction and examination of double and triple mutants indicated that mutations in dif are epistatic to those in pil. Furthermore, extracellular complementation between various Tfp and dif mutants suggests that Tfp, instead of being signals, may constitute the sensor or part of the sensor responsible for mediating signal input into the Dif pathway. We propose that S motility involves a regulatory loop in which EPS triggers Tfp retraction and Tfp provide proximity signals to the Dif pathway to modulate EPS production.

The orphan response regulator DigR is required for synthesis of extracellular matrix fibrils in Myxococcus xanthus

In Myxococcus xanthus, two-component systems have crucial roles in regulating motility behavior and development. Here we describe an orphan response regulator, consisting of an N-terminal receiver domain and a C-terminal DNA binding domain, which is required for A and type IV pilus-dependent gliding motility. Genetic evidence suggests that phosphorylation of the conserved, phosphorylatable aspartate residue in the receiver domain is required for DigR activity. Consistent with the defect in type IV pilus-dependent motility, a digR mutant is slightly reduced in type IV pilus biosynthesis, and the composition of the extracellular matrix fibrils is abnormal, with an increased content of polysaccharides and decreased accumulation of the FibA metalloprotease. By using genome-wide transcriptional profiling, 118 genes were identified that are directly or indirectly regulated by DigR. These 118 genes include only 2, agmQ and cheY4, previously implicated in A and type IV pilus-dependent motility, respectively. In silico analyses showed that 36% of the differentially expressed genes are likely to encode exported proteins. Moreover, four genes encoding homologs of extracytoplasmic function (ECF) sigma factors, which typically control aspects of cell envelope homeostasis, are differentially expressed in a digR mutant. We suggest that the DigR response regulator has an important function in cell envelope homeostasis and that the motility defects in a digR mutant are instigated by the abnormal cell envelope and abnormal expression of agmQ and cheY4.

Transposon insertions of magellan-4 that impair social gliding motility in Myxococcus xanthus

Myxococcus xanthus has two different mechanisms of motility, adventurous (A) motility, which permits individual cells to glide over solid surfaces, and social (S) motility, which permits groups of cells to glide. To identify the genes involved in S-gliding motility, we mutagenized a delta aglU (A-) strain with the defective transposon, magellan-4, and screened for S- mutants that form nonmotile colonies. Sequence analysis of the sites of the magellan-4 insertions in these mutants and the alignment of these sites with the M. xanthus genome sequence show that two-thirds of these insertions lie within 27 of the 37 nonessential genes known to be required for social motility, including those necessary for the biogenesis of type IV pili, exopolysaccharide, and lipopolysaccharide. The remaining insertions also identify 31 new, nonessential genes predicted to encode both structural and regulatory determinants of S motility. These include three tetratricopeptide repeat proteins, several regulators of transcription that may control the expression of genes involved in pilus extension and retraction, and additional enzymes involved in polysaccharide metabolism. Three insertions that abolish S motility lie within genes predicted to encode glycolytic enzymes, suggesting that the signal for pilus retraction may be a simple product of exopolysaccharide catabolism.

SigF, a new sigma factor required for a motility system of Myxococcus xanthus

A new sigma factor, SigF, was identified from the social and developmental bacterium Myxococcus xanthus. SigF is required for fruiting body formation during development as well as social motility during vegetative growth. Analysis of gene expression indicates that it is possible that the sigF gene is involved in regulation of an unidentified gene for social motility.

Nitrate-dependent activation of the Dif signaling pathway of Myxococcus xanthus mediated by a NarX-DifA interspecies chimera

Myxococcus xanthus fibril exopolysaccharide (EPS), essential for the social gliding motility and development of this bacterium, is regulated by the Dif chemotaxis-like pathway. DifA, an MCP homolog, is proposed to mediate signal input to the Dif pathway. However, DifA lacks a prominent periplasmic domain, which in classical chemoreceptors is responsible for signal perception and for initiating transmembrane signaling. To investigate the signaling properties of DifA, we constructed a NarX-DifA (NafA) chimera from the sensory module of Escherichia coli NarX and the signaling module of M. xanthus DifA. We report here the first functional chimeric signal transducer constructed using genes from organisms in two different phylogenetic subdivisions. When expressed in M. xanthus, NafA restored fruiting body formation, EPS production, and S-motility to difA mutants in the presence of nitrate. Studies with various double mutants indicate that NafA requires the downstream Dif proteins to function. We propose that signal inputs to the Dif pathway and transmembrane signaling by DifA are essential for the regulation of EPS production in M. xanthus. Despite the apparent structural differences, DifA appears to share similar transmembrane signaling mechanisms with enteric sensor kinases and chemoreceptors.

Inorganic polyphosphate in the social life of Myxococcus xanthus: motility, development, and predation

Inorganic polyphosphate (poly P), a polymer of tens or hundreds of phosphate residues linked by high-energy, ATP-like bonds, is found in all organisms and performs a wide variety of functions. Myxococcus xanthus, a social bacterium that feeds on other bacteria and forms fruiting bodies and spores, depends on poly P for motility, development, and nutritional predation. Two poly P metabolizing enzymes were studied in M. xanthus: poly P kinase 1, which synthesizes poly P reversibly from ATP, and poly P:AMP phosphotransferase, which uses poly P as a donor to also reversibly convert AMP to ADP. The null mutant of ppk1 is defective in social motility, overproduces pilin protein on the cell surface, is delayed in fruiting body formation, produces fewer spores, is delayed in germination, and forms far smaller plaques on a lawn of Klebsiella aerogenes. The pap mutant is also impaired in social motility, but shows only slightly reduced abilities in development and predation.

Exopolysaccharide biosynthesis genes required for social motility in Myxococcus xanthus

Social (S)-motility in Myxococcus xanthus is a flagellum-independent gliding motility system that allows bacteria to move in groups on solid surfaces. S-motility has been shown to require type IV pili (TFP), exopolysaccharide (EPS; a component of fibrils) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Previously, information concerning EPS biogenesis in M. xanthus was lacking. In this study, we screened 5000 randomly mutagenized colonies for defects in S-motility and EPS and identified two genetic regions essential for EPS biogenesis: the EPS synthesis (eps) region and the EPS-associated (eas) region. Mutants with insertions in the eps and eas regions were defective in S-motility and fruiting body formation. These mutants failed to bind the dye calcofluor white, indicating that they lacked EPS; however, they retained normal TFP and LPS. Analysis of the eps locus showed several open reading frames (ORFs) that encode homologues to glycosyltransferases, glucanases and EPS transporters as well as regulatory proteins; the eas locus contains two ORFs: one exhibits homology to hypothetical proteins with a conserved domain of unknown function and the other displays no apparent homology to other proteins in the database. Further genetic mutagenesis analysis indicates that the whole eps region is involved in the biosynthesis of fibrils and fibril EPS. The operon at the proximal end of the eps region was analysed by generating in-frame deletion mutations. These mutants showed varying degrees of defects in the bacterium's ability to produce EPS or perform EPS-related functions, confirming the involvement of these genes in M. xanthus EPS biogenesis.

Demonstration of interactions among Myxococcus xanthus Dif chemotaxis-like proteins by the yeast two-hybrid system

The Myxococcus xanthus dif locus encodes several bacterial chemotaxis homologues that are crucial for fibril exopolysaccharide (EPS) production, social gliding motility, and fruiting body development. In primary sequence, DifA is homologous to methyl-accepting chemotaxis protein, DifC to CheW, DifD to CheY, DifE to CheA, and DifG to CheC. In this study, the interactions among the Dif chemotaxis-like proteins were investigated using the yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) system. DifC was found to interact with both DifA and DifE. Using a modified Y2H or a "three-hybrid" system, it was demonstrated that DifC is capable of mediating the formation of DifA, DifC, and DifE ternary protein complexes. The conserved domains of DifE, based on sequence analysis, likely reflect functional conservations of CheA-type kinases, because its P2 domain interacts with DifD, P5 with DifC, and the P3 domain appears to dimerize. Similarly, C-terminal regions of DifA appear to dimerize as well. In addition, DifG was found to interact with DifD, which is consistent with the hypothesis that DifG is a phosphatase of DifD-phosphate. These findings support the models in which Dif proteins constitute a unique chemotaxis-like signal transduction pathway with central functions in regulating EPS production in M. xanthus.

AglZ is a filament-forming coiled-coil protein required for adventurous gliding motility of Myxococcus xanthus

The aglZ gene of Myxococcus xanthus was identified from a yeast two-hybrid assay in which MglA was used as bait. MglA is a 22-kDa cytoplasmic GTPase required for both adventurous and social gliding motility and sporulation. Genetic studies showed that aglZ is part of the A motility system, because disruption or deletion of aglZ abolished movement of isolated cells and aglZ sglK double mutants were nonmotile. The aglZ gene encodes a 153-kDa protein that interacts with purified MglA in vitro. The N terminus of AglZ shows similarity to the receiver domain of two-component response regulator proteins, while the C terminus contains heptad repeats characteristic of coiled-coil proteins, such as myosin. Consistent with this motif, expression of AglZ in Escherichia coli resulted in production of striated lattice structures. Similar to the myosin heavy chain, the purified C-terminal coiled-coil domain of AglZ forms filament structures in vitro.

Myxococcus xanthus chemotaxis homologs DifD and DifG negatively regulate fibril polysaccharide production

The extracellular matrix fibrils of Myxococcus xanthus are essential for the social lifestyle of this unusual bacterium. These fibrils form networks linking or encasing cells and are tightly correlated with cellular cohesion, development, and social (S) gliding motility. Previous studies identified a set of bacterial chemotaxis homologs encoded by the dif locus. It was determined that difA, difC, and difE, encoding respective homologs of a methyl-accepting chemotaxis protein, CheW, and CheA, are required for fibril production and therefore S motility and development. Here we report the studies of three additional genes residing at the dif locus, difB, difD, and difG. difD and difG encode homologs of chemotaxis proteins CheY and CheC, respectively. difB encodes a positively charged protein with limited homology at its N terminus to conserved bacterial proteins with unknown functions. Unlike the previously characterized dif genes, none of these three newly studied dif genes are essential for fibril production, S motility, or development. The difB mutant showed no obvious defects in any of the processes examined. In contrast, the difD and the difG mutants were observed to overproduce fibril polysaccharides in comparison with production by the wild type. The observation that DifD and DifG negatively regulate fibril polysaccharide production strengthens our hypothesis that the M. xanthus dif genes define a chemotaxis-like signal transduction pathway which regulates fibril biogenesis. To our knowledge, this is the first report of functional studies of a CheC homolog in proteobacteria. In addition, during this study, we slightly modified previously developed assays to easily quantify fibril polysaccharide production in M. xanthus.

Global mutational analysis of NtrC-like activators in Myxococcus xanthus: identifying activator mutants defective for motility and fruiting body development

The multicellular developmental cycle of Myxococcus xanthus requires large-scale changes in gene transcription, and recent findings indicate that NtrC-like activators play a prominent role in regulating these changes. In this study, we made insertions in 28 uncharacterized ntrC-like activator (nla) genes and found that eight of these insertions cause developmental defects. Hence, these results are consistent with the idea that M. xanthus uses a series of different NtrC-like activators during fruiting body development. Four of the eight developmental mutants we identified have motility defects. The nla1, nla19, and nla23 mutants show S-motility defects, while the nla24 mutant shows defects in both S-motility and A-motility. During development, aggregation of the nla1, nla19, and nla23 mutants is delayed slightly and the nla24 mutant shows no signs of aggregation or sporulation. The nla4, nla6, nla18, and nla28 mutants have no appreciable loss in motility, but they fail to aggregate and to sporulate normally. The nla18 mutant belongs to a special class of developmental mutants whose defects can be rescued when they are codeveloped with wild-type cells, suggesting that nla18 fails to produce a cell-cell signal required for development. The three remaining activator mutants, nla4, nla6, and nla28, appear to have complex developmental phenotypes that include deficiencies in cell-cell developmental signals.

Identification of genes required for adventurous gliding motility in Myxococcus xanthus with the transposable element mariner

Myxococcus xanthus glides over solid surfaces without the use of flagella, dependent upon two large sets of adventurous (A) and social (S) genes, using two different mechanisms of gliding motility. Myxococcus xanthus A-S- double mutants form non-motile colonies lacking migratory cells at their edges. We have isolated 115 independent mutants of M. xanthus with insertions of transposon magellan-4 in potential A genes by screening for insertions that reduce the motility of a mutant S- parental strain. These insertions are found not only in the three loci known to be required for A motility, mglBA, cglB, and aglU, but also in 30 new genes. Six of these new genes encode different homologues of the TolR, TolB, and TolQ transport proteins, suggesting that adventurous motility is dependent on biopolymer transport. Other insertions which affect both A and S motility suggest that both systems share common energy and cell wall determinants. Because the spectrum of magellan-4 insertions in M. xanthus is extraordinarily broad, transposon mutagenesis with this eukaryotic genetic element permits the rapid genetic analysis of large sets of genes that contribute to a complex microbial behaviors such as A motility.

Extracellular polysaccharides mediate pilus retraction during social motility of Myxococcus xanthus

Myxococcus xanthus is a Gram-negative bacterium with a complex life cycle that includes vegetative swarming and fruiting-body formation. Social (S)-motility (coordinated movement of large cell groups) requires both type IV pili and fibrils (extracellular matrix material consisting of polysaccharides and protein). Little is known about the role of this extracellular matrix, or fibril material, in pilus-dependent motility. In this study, mutants lacking fibril material and, therefore, S-motility were found to be hyperpiliated. We demonstrated that addition of fibril material resulted in pilus retraction and rescued this phenotype. The fibril material was further examined to determine the component(s) that were responsible for triggering pilus retraction. Protein-free fibril material was found to be highly active in correcting hyperpiliation. However, the amine sugars present in hydrolyzed fibril material, e.g., glucosamine and N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) had no effect on fibril(-) mutants, but, interestingly, cause hyperpiliation in wild-type cells. In contrast, chitin, a natural GlcNAc polymer, was found to restore pilus retraction in hyperpiliated mutants, indicating that a polysaccharide containing amine sugars is likely required for pilus retraction. These data suggest that the interaction of type IV pili with amine-containing polysaccharides on cell and slime-trail surfaces may trigger pilus retraction, resulting in S-motility and slime-trailing behaviors.

MglA, a small GTPase, interacts with a tyrosine kinase to control type IV pili-mediated motility and development of Myxococcus xanthus

The mglA gene encodes a 22 kDa GTPase that is critical for single-cell (A) gliding, type IV pili-mediated (S) gliding and development of Myxococcus xanthus. To identify components that interact with MglA to control these processes, second-site mutations that restore movement to non-motile mglA mutants were sought. An allele-specific extragenic suppressor of mglA8, named mas815 (mglA8 suppressor 15), was obtained. mas815 does not bypass the requirement for MglA, yet it restores type IV pili-mediated motility and starvation-induced development. Single-cell (A) motility is not restored. The suppressing mutation maps to the 3' end of a gene, masK, in an operon immediately upstream of the mglBA operon. masK encodes a protein of the STY kinase family. When the masK gene was used as bait against a library carrying M. xanthus DNA in the yeast two-hybrid system, eight positive, independent clones containing fusions of mglA to GAL4 were obtained, thus confirming the interaction between MglA and MasK. MasK, expressed in Escherichia coli, was shown to phosphorylate at a tyrosine residue(s). The gain-of-function in the masK815 mutant was correlated with increased production of extracellular fibrils, which are required for adhesion, cell-cell contact and sensing phosphatidylethanolamine chemoattractants. These data suggest that the interaction between MasK and MglA is an essential part of a signal transduction pathway controlling motility and development.

A CheW homologue is required for Myxococcus xanthus fruiting body development, social gliding motility, and fibril biogenesis

In bacteria with multiple sets of chemotaxis genes, the deletion of homologous genes or even different genes in the same operon can result in disparate phenotypes. Myxococcus xanthus is a bacterium with multiple sets of chemotaxis genes and/or homologues. It was shown previously that difA and difE, encoding homologues of the methyl-accepting chemoreceptor protein (MCP) and the CheA kinase, respectively, are required for M. xanthus social gliding (S) motility and development. Both difA and difE mutants were also defective in the biogenesis of the cell surface appendages known as extracellular matrix fibrils. In this study, we investigated the roles of the CheW homologue encoded by difC, a gene at the same locus as difA and difE. We showed that difC mutations resulted in defects in M. xanthus developmental aggregation, sporulation, and S motility. We demonstrated that difC is indispensable for wild-type cellular cohesion and fibril biogenesis but not for pilus production. We further illustrated the ectopic complementation of a difC in-frame deletion by a wild-type difC. The identical phenotypes of difA, difC, and difE mutants are consistent and supportive of the hypothesis that the Dif chemotaxis homologues constitute a chemotaxis-like signal transduction pathway that regulates M. xanthus fibril biogenesis and S motility.

Mapping of Myxococcus xanthus social motility dsp mutations to the dif genes

Myxococcus xanthus dsp and dif mutants have similar phenotypes in that they are deficient in social motility and fruiting body development. We compared the two loci by genetic mapping, complementation with a cosmid clone, DNA sequencing, and gene disruption and found that 16 of the 18 dsp alleles map to the dif genes. Another dsp allele contains a mutation in the sglK gene. About 36.6 kb around the dsp-dif locus was sequenced and annotated, and 50% of the genes are novel.

Bacterial gliding motility: multiple mechanisms for cell movement over surfaces

The mechanisms responsible for bacterial gliding motility have been a mystery for almost 200 years. Gliding bacteria move actively over surfaces by a process that does not involve flagella. Gliding bacteria are phylogenetically diverse and are abundant in many environments. Recent results indicate that more than one mechanism is needed to explain all forms of bacterial gliding motility. Myxococcus xanthus "social gliding motility" and Synechocystis gliding are similar to bacterial "twitching motility" and rely on type IV pilus extension and retraction for cell movement. In contrast, gliding of filamentous cyanobacteria, mycoplasmas, members of the Cytophaga-Flavobacterium group, and "adventurous gliding" of M. xanthus do not appear to involve pili. The mechanisms of movement employed by these bacteria are still a matter of speculation. Genetic, biochemical, ultrastructural, and behavioral studies are providing insight into the machineries employed by these diverse bacteria that enable them to glide over surfaces.

Heat-shock-induced proteins from Myxococcus xanthus

Optimal conditions for two-dimensional gel electrophoresis of total cellular proteins from Myxococcus xanthus were established. Using these conditions, we analyzed protein patterns of heat-shocked M. xanthus cells. Eighteen major spots and 15 minor spots were found to be induced by heat shock. From N-terminal sequences of 15 major spots, DnaK, GroEL, GroES, alkyl hydroperoxide reductase, aldehyde dehydrogenase, succinyl coenzyme A (CoA) synthetase, 30S ribosomal protein S6, and ATP synthase alpha subunit were identified. Three of the 18 major spots had an identical N-terminal sequence, indicating that they may be different forms of the same protein. Although a DnaK homologue, SglK, has been identified in M. xanthus (R. M. Weimer, C. Creghton, A. Stassinopoulos, P. Youderian, and P. L. Hartzell, J. Bacteriol. 180:5357-5368, 1998; Z. Yang, Y. Geng, and W. Shi, J. Bacteriol. 180:218-224, 1998), SglK was not induced by heat shock. In addition, there were seven substitutions within the N-terminal 30-residue sequence of the newly identified DnaK. This is the first report to demonstrate that succinyl CoA synthetase, 30S ribosomal protein S6, and ATP synthase alpha subunit are heat shock inducible.

Novel motility mutants of synechocystis strain PCC 6803 generated by in vitro transposon mutagenesis

We screened for transposon-generated mutants of Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803 that exhibited aberrant phototactic movement. Of the 300 mutants generated, about 50 have been partially characterized; several contained transposons in genes encoding chemotaxis-related proteins, while others mapped to novel genes. These novel genes and their possible roles in motility are discussed.

GidA is an FAD-binding protein involved in development of Myxococcus xanthus

A gene encoding a homologue of the Escherichia coli GidA protein (glucose-inhibited division protein A) lies immediately upstream of aglU, a gene encoding a WD-repeat protein required for motility and development in Myxococcus xanthus. The GidA protein of M. xanthus shares about 48% identity overall with the small (approximately equal to 450 amino acid) form of GidA from eubacteria and about 24% identity overall with the large (approximately equal to 620 amino acid) form of GidA from eubacteria and eukaryotes. Each of these proteins has a conserved dinucleotide-binding motif at the N-terminus. To determine if GidA binds dinucleotide, the M. xanthus gene was expressed with a His6 tag in E. coli cells. Purified rGidA is a yellow protein that absorbs maximally at 374 and 450 nm, consistent with FAD or FMN. Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) showed that rGidA contains an FAD cofactor. Fractionation and immunocytochemical localization show that full length GidA protein is present in the cytoplasm and transported to the periplasm of vegetative-grown M. xanthus cells. In cells that have been starved for nutrients, GidA is found in the cytoplasm. Although GidA lacks an obvious signal sequence, it contains a twin arginine transport (Tat) motif, which is conserved among proteins that bind cofactors in the cytoplasm and are transported to the periplasm as folded proteins. To determine if GidA, like AglU, is involved in motility and development, the gidA gene was disrupted. The gidA- mutant has wild-type gliding motility and initially is able to form fruiting bodies like the wild type when starved for nutrients. However, after several generations, a stable derivative arises, gidA*, which is indistinguishable from the gidA- parent on vegetative medium, but is no longer able to form fruiting bodies. The gidA* mutant releases a heat-stable, protease-resistant, small molecular weight molecule that acts in trans to inhibit aggregation and gene expression of wild-type cells during development.

C-signal: a cell surface-associated morphogen that induces and co-ordinates multicellular fruiting body morphogenesis and sporulation in Myxococcus xanthus

In Myxococcus xanthus, morphogenesis of multicellular fruiting bodies and sporulation are co-ordinated temporally and spatially. csgA mutants fail to synthesize the cell surface-associated C-signal and are unable to aggregate and sporulate. We report that csgA encodes two proteins, a 25 kDa species corresponding to full-length CsgA protein and a 17 kDa species similar in size to C-factor protein, which has been shown previously to have C-signal activity. By systematically varying the accumulation of the csgA proteins, we show that overproduction of the csgA proteins results in premature aggregation and sporulation, uncoupling of the two events and the formation of small fruiting bodies, whereas reduced synthesis of the csgA proteins causes delayed aggregation, reduced sporulation and the formation of large fruiting bodies. These results show that C-signal induces aggregation as well as sporulation, and that an ordered increase in the level of C-signalling during development is essential for the spatial co-ordination of these events. The results support a quantitative model, in which aggregation and sporulation are induced at distinct threshold levels of C-signalling. In this model, the two events are temporally co-ordinated by the regulated increase in C-signalling levels during development. The contact-dependent C-signal transmission mechanism allows the spatial co-ordination of aggregation and sporulation by coupling cell position and signalling levels.

AglU, a protein required for gliding motility and spore maturation of Myxococcus xanthus, is related to WD-repeat proteins

The aglU gene of Myxococcus xanthus encodes a protein similar to Het-E1 (vegetative incompatibility) from Podospora anserina, acylaminoacyl-peptidase from Bacillus subtilis, and TolB from Escherichia coli. These proteins all have evenly spaced SPDG repeats that are characteristic of a larger motif called the WD-repeat. The WD-repeat is predicted to form a beta-propeller structure that mediates the assembly of heteromeric protein complexes. AglU has a consensus lipoprotein attachment motif that includes a type II signal sequence followed by a cysteine residue. This suggests that AglU is matured, then attached to the outer membrane via fatty acid acylation at this Cys. Cells carrying a mutation in aglU are blocked in adventurous gliding and can swarm only if cells are in contact with one another. When starved of nutrients, the aglU mutant aggregates and forms multicellular fruiting bodies like the wild-type strain, but is unable to produce heat-resistant spores. This suggests that adventurous gliding motility, per se, is not required for development, but that AglU is essential for a terminal step of spore differentiation.

Effect of cellular filamentation on adventurous and social gliding motility of Myxococcus xanthus

Filamentous bacterial cells often provide biological information that is not readily evident in normal-size cells. In this study, the effect of cellular filamentation on gliding motility of Myxococcus xanthus, a Gram-negative social bacterium, was investigated. Elongation of the cell body had different effects on adventurous and social motility of M. xanthus. The rate of A-motility was insensitive to cell-body elongation whereas the rate of S-motility was reduced dramatically as the cell body got longer, indicating that these two motility systems work in different ways. The study also showed that filamentous wild-type cells glide smoothly with relatively straight, long cell bodies. However, filamentous cells of certain social motility mutants showed zigzag, tangled cell bodies on a solid surface, apparently a result of a lack of coordination between different fragments within the filaments. Further genetic and biochemical analyses indicated that the uncoordinated movements of these mutant filaments were correlated with the absence of cell surface fibril materials, indicating a possible new function for fibrils.

Motility in Myxococcus xanthus and its role in developmental aggregation

The Frz signal transduction system of Myxococcus xanthus was originally thought to be a simple variation of the well-characterized Che system of the enteric bacteria. Recently, however, many additional Frz proteins, along with alternative signal transduction systems, have been discovered. Together these signal transduction pathways coordinate cell-cell behavior, permitting the complex interactions required for developmental aggregation and fruiting body formation.

Overlapping sequences with high homology to functional proteins coexist on complementary strands of DNA in the rumen bacterium Prevotella albensis

The potential for two complementary fragments of DNA from a clone from the ruminal bacterium Prevotella albensis to encode sequences with homology to at least part of functional proteins is described. One strand contains a sequence with high homology to dnaK, a member of the hsp70 family, and the other strand contains a sequence with some homology to glutamate dehydrogenase genes. Overlapping of these two genes on opposite strands has been reported in eukaryotic species, and is now reported for the first time in a bacterial species. Further investigation of previously described dnaK genes demonstrates that it is more widespread than might be anticipated, with all thirty other dnaK genes investigated also retaining long sequences encoding at least part of a sequence with high homology to a glutamate dehydrogenase gene.

Gliding motility in bacteria: insights from studies of Myxococcus xanthus

Gliding motility is observed in a large variety of phylogenetically unrelated bacteria. Gliding provides a means for microbes to travel in environments with a low water content, such as might be found in biofilms, microbial mats, and soil. Gliding is defined as the movement of a cell on a surface in the direction of the long axis of the cell. Because this definition is operational and not mechanistic, the underlying molecular motor(s) may be quite different in diverse microbes. In fact, studies on the gliding bacterium Myxococcus xanthus suggest that two independent gliding machineries, encoded by two multigene systems, operate in this microorganism. One machinery, which allows individual cells to glide on a surface, independent of whether the cells are moving alone or in groups, requires the function of the genes of the A-motility system. More than 37 A-motility genes are known to be required for this form of movement. Depending on an additional phenotype, these genes are divided into two subclasses, the agl and cgl genes. Videomicroscopic studies on gliding movement, as well as ultrastructural observations of two myxobacteria, suggest that the A-system motor may consist of multiple single motor elements that are arrayed along the entire cell body. Each motor element is proposed to be localized to the periplasmic space and to be anchored to the peptidoglycan layer. The force to glide which may be generated here is coupled to adhesion sites that move freely in the outer membrane. These adhesion sites provide a specific contact with the substratum. Based on single-cell observations, similar models have been proposed to operate in the unrelated gliding bacteria Flavobacterium johnsoniae (formerly Cytophaga johnsonae), Cytophaga strain U67, and Flexibacter polymorphus (a filamentous glider). Although this model has not been verified experimentally, M. xanthus seems to be the ideal organism with which to test it, given the genetic tools available. The second gliding motor in M. xanthus controls cell movement in groups (S-motility system). It is dependent on functional type IV pili and is operative only when cells are in close proximity to each other. Type IV pili are known to be involved in another mode of bacterial surface translocation, called twitching motility. S-motility may well represent a variation of twitching motility in M. xanthus. However, twitching differs from gliding since it involves cell movements that are jerky and abrupt and that lack the organization and smoothness observed in gliding. Components of this motor are encoded by genes of the S-system, which appear to be homologs of genes involved in the biosynthesis, assembly, and function of type IV pili in Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Neisseria gonorrhoeae. How type IV pili generate force in S-motility is currently unknown, but it is to be expected that ongoing physiological, genetic, and biochemical studies in M. xanthus, in conjunction with studies on twitching in P. aeruginosa and N. gonorrhoeae, will provide important insights into this microbial motor. The two motility systems of M. xanthus are affected to different degrees by the MglA protein, which shows similarity to a small GTPase. Bacterial chemotaxis-like sensory transduction systems control gliding motility in M. xanthus. The frz genes appear to regulate gliding movement of individual cells and movement by the S-motility system, suggesting that the two motors found in this bacterium can be regulated to result in coordinated multicellular movements. In contrast, the dif genes affect only S-system-dependent swarming.