Manipulating each MreB of Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus gives diverse morphological and predatory phenotypes

J Bacteriol. 2010 Mar;192(5):1299-311. doi: 10.1128/JB.01157-09. Epub 2009 Dec 18.

Abstract

We studied the two mreB genes, encoding actinlike cytoskeletal elements, in the predatory bacterium Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus. This bacterium enters and replicates within other Gram-negative bacteria by attack-phase Bdellovibrio squeezing through prey outer membrane, residing and growing filamentously in the prey periplasm forming an infective "bdelloplast," and septating after 4 h, once the prey contents are consumed. This lifestyle brings challenges to the Bdellovibrio cytoskeleton. Both mreB genes were essential for viable predatory growth, but C-terminal green fluorescent protein tagging each separately with monomeric teal-fluorescent protein (mTFP) gave two strains with phenotypic changes at different stages in predatory growth and development. MreB1-mTFP cells arrested growth early in bdelloplast formation, despite successful degradation of prey nucleoid. A large population of stalled bdelloplasts formed in predatory cultures and predation proceeded very slowly. A small proportion of bdelloplasts lysed after several days, liberating MreB1-mTFP attack-phase cells of wild-type morphology; this process was aided by subinhibitory concentrations of an MreB-specific inhibitor, A22. MreB2-mTFP, in contrast, was predatory at an almost wild-type rate but yielded attack-phase cells with diverse morphologies, including spherical, elongated, and branched, the first time such phenotypes have been described. Wild-type predatory rates were seen for all but spherical morphotypes, and septation of elongated morphotypes was achieved by the addition of A22.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics*
  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism*
  • Bdellovibrio / cytology*
  • Bdellovibrio / genetics
  • Bdellovibrio / metabolism*
  • Cytoskeletal Proteins / genetics*
  • Cytoskeletal Proteins / metabolism*
  • Gene Deletion
  • Microbial Viability
  • Microscopy
  • Microscopy, Electron
  • Models, Biological
  • Phenotype

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Cytoskeletal Proteins