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Phage 29 phi protein p1 promotes replication by associating with the FtsZ ring of the divisome in Bacillus subtilis

David Ballesteros-Plaza1, Isabel Holguera, Dirk-Jan Scheffers

  • 1Instituto de Biología Molecular Eladio Viñuela, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Universidad Autónoma, Canto Blanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|July 10, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Bacteriophage 29 protein p1 interacts with Bacillus subtilis cell division protein FtsZ, localizing to the cell midsection. This interaction is crucial for phage DNA replication and influences bacterial cell length.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Virology

Background:

  • Bacteriophage 29 protein p1 is essential for phage DNA replication.
  • Protein p1 forms polymers resembling eukaryotic tubulin and bacterial FtsZ.
  • Viral proteins often co-opt host factors for efficient replication.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the subcellular localization and host interactions of bacteriophage 29 protein p1.
  • To determine the role of Bacillus subtilis FtsZ in protein p1 localization.
  • To elucidate the functional significance of protein p1-FtsZ association in the phage life cycle.

Main Methods:

  • Fluorescent protein tagging (YFP-p1) for subcellular localization studies in Bacillus subtilis.
  • Co-localization experiments to assess protein p1 and FtsZ association.
  • Genetic manipulation of Bacillus subtilis strains (FtsZ-deficient, PBP2B-depleted) to study localization dependencies.

Main Results:

  • Bacteriophage 29 protein p1 localizes to the midcell in Bacillus subtilis independently of other phage proteins.
  • Protein p1 colocalizes and associates with the Bacillus subtilis cell division protein FtsZ.
  • Midcell localization of protein p1 requires FtsZ expression; its localization is independent of penicillin-binding protein 2B.
  • Expression of protein p1 leads to elongated Bacillus subtilis cells and increased phage DNA accumulation.

Conclusions:

  • Bacteriophage 29 protein p1 utilizes the host FtsZ machinery for its midcell localization.
  • The interaction between protein p1 and FtsZ is critical for efficient phage DNA replication.
  • Protein p1 influences bacterial cell morphology, potentially impacting the phage growth cycle.
Keywords:
Z ringbacterial enlargementcytokinesisviral replication

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