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Two localization motifs mediate polar residence of FrzS during cell movement and reversals of Myxococcus xanthus
Author(s) -
Mignot Tâm,
Merlie John P.,
Zusman David R.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
molecular microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.857
H-Index - 247
eISSN - 1365-2958
pISSN - 0950-382X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2958.2007.05789.x
Subject(s) - myxococcus xanthus , biology , polar , microbiology and biotechnology , evolutionary biology , genetics , gene , physics , mutant , astronomy
Summary Myxococcus xanthus utilizes two motility systems for surface locomotion: A‐motility and S‐motility. S‐motility is mediated by extension and retraction of type IV pili. Cells exhibiting S‐motility periodically reverse by switching the assembly of type IV pili from the old leading pole to the new leading pole. These cellular reversals involve regulated pole‐to‐pole oscillations of the FrzS protein. We constructed and characterized in‐frame deletion mutations in several FrzS domains to determine their roles in protein localization. We found that FrzS has distinct domains required for residence at the leading cell pole, pole‐to‐pole transport and lagging cell pole. Our results are consistent with a model whereby S‐motility reversals are mediated by a protein translocation system that delivers motility proteins such as FrzS from the leading cell pole to the lagging cell pole.