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Type VI and type IX secretion systems and gliding motility contribute to facultative predation by Flavobacterium
Maelle Paillat1, Linghan Coralie Meng1, Laure Journet1
1Laboratoire d'Ingénierie des systèmes macromoléculaires, Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS UMR7255, 31 Chemin Joseph Aiguier, CS7071, 13402 Marseille Cedex 20, France.
Abstract:
Flavobacterium johnsoniae is a soil-dwelling bacterium that colonizes surfaces using gliding motility. Here, we show that niche colonization is promoted by a killing strategy involving the type VI (T6SS) and type IX (T9SS) secretion systems, in addition to gliding, revealing a functional coupling between these mechanisms and antagonistic activity. We report that T6SS-dependent killing is not essential for competing colony invasion and spatial colonization. Instead, it enables F. johnsoniae to access nutrients released from lysed prey. Collectively, our results highlight the pivotal role of secretion machineries and gliding motility in bacterial antagonism and facultative predation by Flavobacteria. This work further supports the idea that this behavior, through T6SS- and T9SS-mediated killing and nutrient acquisition, may be a widespread ecological strategy among bacteria.
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