1
Surface contact stimulates the just-in-time deployment of bacterial adhesins.
Mol Microbiol. 2012 Jan; 83(1):41-51
All selected articles haveThis article has been added to your saved articles
You can follow/unfollow articles via MyF1000 or via the article or browse pages.
13 Dec 2011
New Finding
DOI: 10.3410/f.13395976.14775075
The mechanism behind how bacteria transition from the planktonic to the sessile lifestyle is unclear. Li et al. show that three different species of alphaproteobacteria quickly respond to contact with a surface by producing a holdfast polysaccharide that irreversibly attaches the bacteria to the surface....Continue reading
The mechanism behind how bacteria transition from the planktonic to the sessile lifestyle is unclear. Li et al. show that three different species of alphaproteobacteria quickly respond to contact with a surface by producing a holdfast polysaccharide that irreversibly attaches the bacteria to the surface. This finding is interesting because it shows the speed with which bacteria can transition from planktonic to sessile modes of growth.
In this paper, Li et al. also demonstrate that 1) Caulobacter crescentus initially interacts with the surface via the polar flagella, 2) this contact inhibits flagellar rotation in a pili-dependent manner, and 3) inhibition of flagellar rotation stimulates the production of the holdfast within 1-2 minutes. This response to a surface is independent of cell cycle stage and does not require protein synthesis.
In this paper, Li et al. also demonstrate that 1) Caulobacter crescentus initially interacts with the surface via the polar flagella, 2) this contact inhibits flagellar rotation in a pili-dependent manner, and 3) inhibition of flagellar rotation stimulates the production of the holdfast within 1-2 minutes. This response to a surface is independent of cell cycle stage and does not require protein synthesis.
Disclosures
None declared
Add Comment
Parsek M and Tseng B: F1000Prime Recommendation of [Li G et al., Mol Microbiol 2012, 83(1):41-51]. In F1000Prime, 13 Dec 2011; DOI: 10.3410/f.13395976.14775075. F1000Prime.com/13395976#eval14775075
F1000Prime Recommendations, Dissents and Comments for [Li G et al., Mol Microbiol 2012, 83(1):41-51]. In F1000Prime, 23 May 2013; F1000Prime.com/13395976
Only registered/signed-in users can make comments.
Sign in or Subscribe to create your user account and join the discussion.
Sign in or Subscribe to create your user account and join the discussion.
No comments yet.
The attachment of bacteria to surfaces provides advantages such as increasing nutrient access and resistance to environmental stress. Attachment begins with a reversible phase, often mediated by surface structures such as flagella and pili, followed by a transition to irreversible attachment, typically mediated by polysaccharides. Here we show that the interplay between pili and flagellum rotation stimulates the rapid transition between reversible and polysaccharide-mediated irreversible attachment. We found that reversible attachment of Caulobacter crescentus cells is mediated by motile cells bearing pili and that their contact with a surface results in the rapid pili-dependent arrest of flagellum rotation and concurrent stimulation of polar holdfast adhesive polysaccharide. Similar stimulation of polar adhesin production by surface contact occurs in Asticcacaulis biprosthecum and Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Therefore, single bacterial cells respond to their initial contact with surfaces by triggering just-in-time adhesin production. This mechanism restricts stable attachment to intimate surface interactions, thereby maximizing surface attachment, discouraging non-productive self-adherence, and preventing curing of the adhesive.
© 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2958.2011.07909.x
PMID: 22053824
