Identification and characterization of novel filament-forming proteins in cyanobacteria

Sci Rep. 2020 Feb 5;10(1):1894. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-58726-9.

Abstract

Filament-forming proteins in bacteria function in stabilization and localization of proteinaceous complexes and replicons; hence they are instrumental for myriad cellular processes such as cell division and growth. Here we present two novel filament-forming proteins in cyanobacteria. Surveying cyanobacterial genomes for coiled-coil-rich proteins (CCRPs) that are predicted as putative filament-forming proteins, we observed a higher proportion of CCRPs in filamentous cyanobacteria in comparison to unicellular cyanobacteria. Using our predictions, we identified nine protein families with putative intermediate filament (IF) properties. Polymerization assays revealed four proteins that formed polymers in vitro and three proteins that formed polymers in vivo. Fm7001 from Fischerella muscicola PCC 7414 polymerized in vitro and formed filaments in vivo in several organisms. Additionally, we identified a tetratricopeptide repeat protein - All4981 - in Anabaena sp. PCC 7120 that polymerized into filaments in vitro and in vivo. All4981 interacts with known cytoskeletal proteins and is indispensable for Anabaena viability. Although it did not form filaments in vitro, Syc2039 from Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 assembled into filaments in vivo and a Δsyc2039 mutant was characterized by an impaired cytokinesis. Our results expand the repertoire of known prokaryotic filament-forming CCRPs and demonstrate that cyanobacterial CCRPs are involved in cell morphology, motility, cytokinesis and colony integrity.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Motifs / genetics
  • Anabaena / cytology*
  • Anabaena / genetics
  • Anabaena / metabolism
  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics
  • Bacterial Proteins / isolation & purification
  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism*
  • Cyanobacteria / cytology*
  • Cyanobacteria / genetics
  • Cyanobacteria / metabolism
  • Cytoskeletal Proteins / genetics
  • Cytoskeletal Proteins / isolation & purification
  • Cytoskeletal Proteins / metabolism*
  • Cytoskeleton / metabolism
  • Genes, Bacterial / genetics
  • Mutation
  • Protein Conformation, alpha-Helical / genetics
  • Protein Multimerization
  • Recombinant Proteins / genetics
  • Recombinant Proteins / isolation & purification
  • Recombinant Proteins / metabolism
  • Synechococcus / cytology*
  • Synechococcus / genetics
  • Synechococcus / metabolism

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Cytoskeletal Proteins
  • Recombinant Proteins

Supplementary concepts

  • Fischerella muscicola
  • Synechococcus elongatus