Recent Advances in Biological Functions of Thick Pili in the Cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803

Zhuo Chen; Xitong Li; Xiaoming Tan; Yan Zhang; Baoshan Wang

doi:10.3389/fpls.2020.00241

Recent Advances in Biological Functions of Thick Pili in the Cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803

Front Plant Sci. 2020 Mar 10:11:241. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2020.00241. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Zhuo Chen¹, Xitong Li¹, Xiaoming Tan², Yan Zhang³, Baoshan Wang¹

Affiliations

¹ Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Stress, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China.
² State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, China.
³ Biotechnology Research Center, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, China.

Abstract

Cyanobacteria have evolved various strategies to sense and adapt to biotic and abiotic stresses including active movement. Motility in cyanobacteria utilizing the type IV pili (TFP) is useful to cope with changing environmental conditions. The model cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 (hereafter named Synechocystis) exhibits motility via TFP called thick pili, and uses it to seek out favorable light/nutrition or escape from unfavorable conditions. Recently, a number of studies on Synechocystis thick pili have been undertaken. Molecular approaches support the role of the pilin in motility, cell adhesion, metal utilization, and natural competence in Synechocystis. This review summarizes the most recent studies on the function of thick pili as well as their formation and regulation in this cyanobacterium.

Keywords: DNA uptake; Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803; motility; phototaxis; thick pili.

Publication types

Review