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Subcellular localization of type IV pili regulates bacterial multicellular development
Courtney K Ellison1,2,3, Chenyi Fei4,5, Triana N Dalia6
1Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA. c.ellison@uga.edu.
Nature Communications
|October 25, 2022
Summary
Bacteria use type IV pili (T4P) for multicellular organization. Subcellular T4P localization, regulated by the Pil-Chp system, dictates how cells interact, driving complex community development independently of pili dynamics.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Cell Biology
- Biophysics
Background:
- Multicellular organization in mammals relies on subcellular protein localization.
- Bacterial community patterns typically arise from whole-cell processes, not intracellular patterning.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if subcellular patterning of bacterial appendages can drive multicellular community development.
- To elucidate the regulatory mechanisms and consequences of intracellular type IV pili (T4P) localization in Acinetobacter baylyi.
Main Methods:
- Microscopy and genetic manipulation to study T4P localization in Acinetobacter baylyi.
- Biochemical assays to investigate the roles of the Pil-Chp system and FimV.
- Computational modeling and empirical experiments to link subcellular localization to multicellular architecture.
Main Results:
- Type IV pili (T4P) in Acinetobacter baylyi exhibit unique long-axis intracellular localization.
- This localization is controlled by a divergent chemosensory Pil-Chp system and the FimV protein.
- Subcellular T4P localization patterns independently control cell interactions and emergent multicellular architectures.
Conclusions:
- Subcellular T4P localization is a novel mechanism driving bacterial multicellular development.
- The Pil-Chp system and FimV are key regulators of T4P positioning.
- Bacterial community structure can be dictated by intracellular patterning within single cells.
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