Premium
The scaffolding and signalling functions of a localization factor impact polar development
Author(s) -
Curtis Patrick D.,
Quardokus Ellen M.,
Lawler Melanie L.,
Guo Xiaoyun,
Klein David,
Chen Joseph C.,
Arnold Randy J.,
Brun Yves V.
Publication year - 2012
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.1365-2958.2012.08055.x
Subject(s) - biology , caulobacter crescentus , microbiology and biotechnology , organelle , mutant , flagellum , scaffold protein , cell division , biogenesis , ectopic expression , pilus , cell polarity , signal transduction , cell , genetics , gene , cell cycle , escherichia coli
Summary In the differentiating alphaproteobacterium Caulobacter crescentus , organelle synthesis at cell poles is critical to forming different progeny after cell division. Co‐ordination of polar organelle synthesis, including pili and holdfast, and flagellum ejection, is mediated in part by the scaffolding protein PodJ. At the time of cell division, PodJ undergoes regulated processing to a short form that persists at the flagellar pole of swarmer cells. This study analyses how PodJ's role in structural and signalling protein localization impacts organelle synthesis. A PodJ mutant with an internal deletion exhibits reduced sensitivity to pili‐tropic phage ΦCbK, resulting from reduced pilA gene expression, which can be linked to altered signalling protein localization. The phage sensitivity defect of a Δ podJ mutant can be partially suppressed by ectopic pilA expression. Induction of PodJ processing, by manipulation of podJ itself or controlled perP expression, resulted in decreased pilus biogenesis and, when coupled with a podJ mutation that reduced pilA expression, led to complete loss of phage sensitivity. As a whole, the results show that PodJ's scaffolding role for structural and signalling proteins both contribute to flagellar pole organelle development.