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A Tad-like apparatus is required for contact-dependent prey killing in predatory social bacteria

Sofiene Seef1, Julien Herrou1, Paul de Boissier2

  • 1Aix-Marseille Université - CNRS UMR 7283, Institut de Microbiologie de la Méditerranée and Turing Center for Living Systems, Marseille, France.

Elife
|September 10, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Myxococcus xanthus uses a novel "Kil" machinery for surface predation, coupling motility and direct cell contact to kill prey. This discovery reveals a new mechanism for bacterial predation and cell-cell interactions.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Bacterial Predation
  • Cellular Mechanisms

Background:

  • Myxococcus xanthus is a soil bacterium known for collective predation.
  • Prey lysis is traditionally attributed to secreted factors, antibiotics, enzymes, and direct cell contact.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the primary predatory mechanism of Myxococcus xanthus on surfaces.
  • To elucidate the molecular basis of contact-dependent killing in bacterial predation.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized surface-based predation assays with Myxococcus xanthus.
  • Investigated molecular mechanisms of prey cell lysis and contact-dependent killing.
  • Characterized a newly discovered type IV filament-like machinery (Kil).

Main Results:

  • Demonstrated that the coupling of A-motility and contact-dependent killing is central to Myxococcus xanthus predation on surfaces.
  • Identified the Kil machinery as a key component in motility arrest and prey cell plasmolysis.
  • Showcased Kil protein assembly at predator-prey contact sites, facilitating prey intoxication.
  • Revealed Kil-like systems as a new class of Tad-like machineries with conserved functions in predator-prey interactions.

Conclusions:

  • The study highlights a novel predatory mechanism in Myxococcus xanthus involving coordinated motility and contact-dependent killing via the Kil machinery.
  • Identified a new class of bacterial machineries (Kil-like systems) involved in predation and cell-cell interactions, suggesting conserved roles in interbacterial dynamics.
Keywords:
Myxococcus xanthusinfectious diseasemicrobiologymotilitypredationtad pilus

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