A CtrA homolog affects swarming motility and encystment in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Rhodospirillum centenum</Emphasis> |
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Authors: | Terry H Bird Allison MacKrell |
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Institution: | 1.Biology Department,University of San Diego,San Diego,USA |
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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. |
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