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Adaptor-mediated Lon proteolysis restricts Bacillus subtilis hyperflagellation.

Sampriti Mukherjee1, Anna C Bree1, Jing Liu2

  • 1Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405; and.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|December 25, 2014
PubMed
Summary

Bacillus subtilis LonA protease degrades the SwrA regulator, controlling flagellar biosynthesis. Surface contact halts this degradation, increasing SwrA and enabling bacterial swarming motility.

Keywords:
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Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • The Lon AAA+ protease is a conserved intracellular protease involved in protein quality control and virulence regulation.
  • Its mechanism for discriminating between numerous protein targets is not fully understood.
  • Lon proteases are targets for anticancer therapies in eukaryotes and virulence control in bacteria.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the specific targets and regulatory mechanisms of the Bacillus subtilis LonA protease.
  • To elucidate how LonA activity is regulated in response to environmental cues, specifically surface contact.
  • To understand the role of LonA in bacterial motility and cellular differentiation.

Main Methods:

  • Proteolysis assays using purified Bacillus subtilis LonA and its substrates.
  • Genetic manipulation of Bacillus subtilis strains to study the roles of LonA, SwrA, and SmiA.
  • Microscopy techniques to analyze flagellar expression and bacterial swarming behavior on solid surfaces.

Main Results:

  • Bacillus subtilis LonA specifically degrades the master regulator of flagellar biosynthesis, SwrA, in a process mediated by the adaptor protein SmiA.
  • Proteolysis of SwrA by LonA is inhibited upon bacterial contact with a surface.
  • Cessation of SwrA degradation leads to increased SwrA protein levels and enhanced flagellar density, triggering swarming motility.

Conclusions:

  • Regulated proteolysis by LonA, modulated by adaptor proteins like SmiA, is a key mechanism controlling bacterial adaptation to surface environments.
  • Surface contact acts as a signal to rapidly alter protein degradation pathways, influencing bacterial behavior and differentiation.
  • This study reveals a novel mechanism for transducing surface stimuli through regulated proteolysis, with implications for understanding bacterial virulence and multicellular behaviors.