Type IV pilus biogenesis and motility in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC6803
- PMID: 10972813
- DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2958.2000.02068.x
Type IV pilus biogenesis and motility in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC6803
Abstract
We have recently shown that phototactic movement in the unicellular cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 requires type IV pilins. To elucidate further type IV pilus-dependent motility, we inactivated key genes implicated in pilus biogenesis and function. Wild-type Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 cells have two morphologically distinct pilus types (thick and thin pili). Of these, the thick pilus morphotype, absent in a mutant disrupted for the pilin-encoding pilA1 gene, appears to be required for motility. The thin pilus morphotype does not appear to be altered in the pilA1 mutant, raising the possibility that thin pili have a function distinct from that of motility. Mutants disrupted for pilA2, which encodes a second pilin-like protein, are still motile and exhibit no difference in morphology or density of cell-surface pili. In contrast, inactivation of pilD (encoding the leader peptidase) or pilC (encoding a protein required for pilus assembly) abolishes cell motility, and both pilus morphotypes are absent. Thus, the PilA1 polypeptide is required for the biogenesis of the thick pilus morphotype which, in turn, is necessary for motility (hence we refer to them as type IV pili). Furthermore, PilA2 is critical neither for motility nor for pilus biogenesis. Two genes encoding proteins with similarity to PilT, which is considered to be a component of the motor essential for type IV pilus-dependent movement, were also inactivated. A pilT1 mutant is (i) non-motile, (ii) hyperpiliated and (iii) accumulates higher than normal levels of the pilA1 transcript. In contrast, pilT2 mutants are motile, but are negatively phototactic under conditions in which wild-type cells are positively phototactic.
Similar articles
-
Mutational analysis of genes involved in pilus structure, motility and transformation competency in the unicellular motile cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803.Plant Cell Physiol. 2001 Jan;42(1):63-73. doi: 10.1093/pcp/pce007. Plant Cell Physiol. 2001. PMID: 11158445
-
The role of Slr1443 in pilus biogenesis in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803: involvement in post-translational modification of pilins.Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2004 Feb 27;315(1):179-86. doi: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2004.01.036. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2004. PMID: 15013443
-
Light regulation of type IV pilus-dependent motility by chemosensor-like elements in Synechocystis PCC6803.Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2001 Jun 19;98(13):7540-5. doi: 10.1073/pnas.131201098. Epub 2001 Jun 12. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2001. PMID: 11404477 Free PMC article.
-
Phototactic motility in the unicellular cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803.Photochem Photobiol Sci. 2004 Jun;3(6):512-8. doi: 10.1039/b402320j. Epub 2004 May 11. Photochem Photobiol Sci. 2004. PMID: 15170479 Review.
-
Pulling together with type IV pili.J Mol Microbiol Biotechnol. 2004;7(1-2):52-62. doi: 10.1159/000077869. J Mol Microbiol Biotechnol. 2004. PMID: 15170403 Review.
Cited by
-
Erythromycin mediates co-flocculation between cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 and filamentous fungi in liquid cultivation without organic compounds.Sci Rep. 2024 Apr 26;14(1):9640. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-60016-7. Sci Rep. 2024. PMID: 38671026 Free PMC article.
-
Oscillation of type IV pili regulated by the circadian clock in cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus PCC7942.Sci Adv. 2024 Jan 26;10(4):eadd9485. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.add9485. Epub 2024 Jan 24. Sci Adv. 2024. PMID: 38266097 Free PMC article.
-
The GGDEF protein Dgc2 suppresses both motility and biofilm formation in the filamentous cyanobacterium Leptolyngbya boryana.Microbiol Spectr. 2023 Sep 1;11(5):e0483722. doi: 10.1128/spectrum.04837-22. Online ahead of print. Microbiol Spectr. 2023. PMID: 37655901 Free PMC article.
-
The genome sequence of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 substrain GT-T and its implications for the evolution of PCC 6803 substrains.FEBS Open Bio. 2023 Apr;13(4):701-712. doi: 10.1002/2211-5463.13576. Epub 2023 Feb 21. FEBS Open Bio. 2023. PMID: 36792971 Free PMC article.
-
Utilizing Cyanobacteria in Biophotovoltaics: An Emerging Field in Bioelectrochemistry.Adv Biochem Eng Biotechnol. 2023;183:281-302. doi: 10.1007/10_2022_212. Adv Biochem Eng Biotechnol. 2023. PMID: 36441187
Publication types
MeSH terms
Substances
Grants and funding
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Molecular Biology Databases