Interacting bactofilins impact cell shape of the MreB-less multicellular < i > Rhodomicrobium vannielii < /i >

by Pia Richter, Brigitte Melzer, Frank D. M üller

Most non-spherical bacteria rely on the actin-like MreB cytoskeleton to control synthesis of a cell-shaping and primarily rod-like cell wall. Diverging from simple rod shape generally requires accessory cytoskeletal elements, which locally interfere with the MreB-guided cell wall synthesis. Conserved and widespread representatives of this accessory cytoskeleton are bactofilins that polymerize into static, non-polar bundles of filaments. Intriguingly, many species of the Actinobacteria and Rhizobiales manage to grow rod-like without MreB by tip extension, yet some of them still possess bactofilin genes, whose function in cell morphogenesis is unknown. An intricate representative of these tip-growing bacteria isRhodomicrobium vannielii; a member of the hitherto genetically not tractable and poorly studied Hyphomicrobiaceae within the MreB-less Rhizobiales order.R.vannielii displays complex asymmetric cell shapes and differentiation patterns including filamentous hyphae to produce offspring and to build dendritic multicellular arrays. Here, we introduce techniques to genetically accessR.vannielii, and we elucidate the role of bactofilins in its sophisticated morphogenesis. By targeted mutagenesis and fluorescence microscopy, protein interaction studies and peptidoglycan incorporation analysis we show that theR.vannielii bactofilins are associated with the hyphal growth zones and that one of them is essential to form proper hyph...

Source: PLoS Genetics - May 31, 2023 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: Pia Richter Source Type: research