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Filamentous structures in the cell envelope are associated with bacteroidetes gliding machinery
Satoshi Shibata1,2, Yuhei O Tahara3,4, Eisaku Katayama3,5
1Department of Microbiology and Oral Infection, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan. sshibata@tottori-u.ac.jp.
Communications Biology
|January 23, 2023
Summary
Bacterial gliding motility in Bacteroidetes involves SprB filaments moving along cell surface tracks. New research suggests a multi-rail system beneath the outer membrane propels these filaments, explaining their movement and driving force.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Cell Biology
- Bacterial Motility
Background:
- Bacteria in the phylum Bacteroidetes exhibit gliding motility on solid surfaces.
- A previous helical loop track model for Flavobacterium johnsoniae proposed SprB filaments propelled along a cell surface loop.
- The precise mechanism and driving force behind this motility remain incompletely understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the mechanism of gliding motility in the bacterium Flavobacterium johnsoniae.
- To elucidate the role of SprB filaments and associated structures in cell surface movement.
- To provide insights into the driving force behind Bacteroidetes gliding motility.
Main Methods:
- Observation of gliding cell rotation and SprB filament dynamics using microscopy.
- Electron microscopic analyses to examine structures associated with SprB filaments.
- Identification of proteins, such as GldJ, within these structures.
Main Results:
- Observed counterclockwise cell rotation during gliding.
- Demonstrated that individual SprB filaments can overtake each other during movement.
- Revealed a potential multi-rail structure beneath the outer membrane associated with SprB filaments and containing GldJ protein.
Conclusions:
- SprB filaments are propelled along tracks that may constitute a multi-rail system beneath the outer membrane.
- This multi-rail system likely plays a crucial role in the mechanism of Bacteroidetes gliding motility.
- The findings offer potential explanations for the driving force behind SprB filament propulsion.
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