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A CtrA homolog affects swarming motility and encystment in Rhodospirillum centenum

A CtrA homolog affects swarming motility and encystment in Rhodospirillum centenum The α-proteobacterium, Rhodospirillum centenum, has a complex life cycle that allows adaptation to different environments. Transitions between vegetative swim cell and swarmer cell types depend on whether the organism is growing in liquid surroundings or on a solid substrate. Moreover, starvation can induce vegetative cells to differentiate into quiescent cysts. This paper describes the results of our investigation into the role of a putative DNA-binding response regulator that is homologous to CtrA, the cell cycle regulator from Caulobacter crescentus . Deletion of ctrA from the R. centenum genome resulted in a viable strain with impaired swarming motility coupled with an increased tendency to form cysts. Conversely, overexpression of wild type CtrA or a phosphomimetic allele, CtrAD51E, suppressed cyst cell formation, whereas overexpression of a CtrAD51A allele failed to suppress encystment but did prevent swarming motility. Thus, we propose that CtrA participates within a two-component signal transduction pathway that promotes swarming motility while contributing to the suppression of cyst cell formation. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Archives of Microbiology Springer Journals

A CtrA homolog affects swarming motility and encystment in Rhodospirillum centenum

Bird, Terry; MacKrell, Allison
Archives of Microbiology , Volume 193 (6) – Jun 1, 2011
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References (35)

Publisher
Springer Journals
Copyright
Copyright © 2011 by Springer-Verlag
Subject
Life Sciences; Microbiology ; Cell Biology; Biochemistry, general; Microbial Ecology; Biotechnology; Ecology
ISSN
0302-8933
eISSN
1432-072X
DOI
10.1007/s00203-011-0676-y
pmid
21243338
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

The α-proteobacterium, Rhodospirillum centenum, has a complex life cycle that allows adaptation to different environments. Transitions between vegetative swim cell and swarmer cell types depend on whether the organism is growing in liquid surroundings or on a solid substrate. Moreover, starvation can induce vegetative cells to differentiate into quiescent cysts. This paper describes the results of our investigation into the role of a putative DNA-binding response regulator that is homologous to CtrA, the cell cycle regulator from Caulobacter crescentus . Deletion of ctrA from the R. centenum genome resulted in a viable strain with impaired swarming motility coupled with an increased tendency to form cysts. Conversely, overexpression of wild type CtrA or a phosphomimetic allele, CtrAD51E, suppressed cyst cell formation, whereas overexpression of a CtrAD51A allele failed to suppress encystment but did prevent swarming motility. Thus, we propose that CtrA participates within a two-component signal transduction pathway that promotes swarming motility while contributing to the suppression of cyst cell formation.

Journal

Archives of Microbiology – Springer Journals

Published: Jun 1, 2011

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