Lsr2, a nucleoid-associated protein influencing mycobacterial cell cycle

Nucleoid-associated proteins (NAPs) are responsible for maintaining highly organized and yet dynamic chromosome structure in bacteria. The genus Mycobacterium possesses a unique set of NAPs, including Lsr2, which is a DNA-bridging protein. Importantly, Lsr2 is essential for the M. tuberculosis during infection exhibiting pleiotropic activities including regulation of gene expression (mainly as a repressor). Here, we report that deletion of lsr2 gene profoundly impacts the cell morphology of M. smegmatis, which is a model organism for studying the cell biology of M. tuberculosis and other mycobacterial pathogens. Cells lacking Lsr2 are shorter, wider, and more rigid than the wild-type cells. Using time-lapse fluorescent microscopy, we showed that fluorescently tagged Lsr2 forms large and dynamic nucleoprotein complexes, and that the N-terminal oligomerization domain of Lsr2 is indispensable for the formation of nucleoprotein complexes in vivo. Moreover, lsr2 deletion exerts a significant effect on the replication time and replisome dynamics. Thus, we propose that the Lsr2 nucleoprotein complexes may contribute to maintaining the proper organization of the newly synthesized DNA and therefore influencing mycobacterial cell cycle.