Tracing the path of a prokaryotic paracrine signal.

Abstract:

:Filamentous heterocyst-forming cyanobacteria are a beautiful example of prokaryotic multicellularity. The filaments can achieve simultaneous nitrogen fixation and oxygenic photosynthesis by cooperation between two cell types: the photosynthetic vegetative cells and the nitrogen-fixing heterocysts. The multicellular features exhibited by the system include differentiation of different cell types, metabolic interdependence and even pattern formation, as the spacing of heterocysts along the filament is non-random. Recent years have seen exciting progress both in understanding the control of heterocyst differentiation, and also in understanding the function of 'septal junctions': an array of pore-like structures at the cell junctions that allow intercellular communication by facilitating the diffusion of small molecules from cell to cell. A new report by Rivers et al. (2014) makes the connection between pattern formation and intercellular communication by showing that a mutation that partially disables the septal junctions leads to a decrease in the range of a signal dependent on the HetN protein that is one of the factors controlling heterocyst spacing. This suggests that the signal travels from cell to cell by diffusion through the septal junctions, opening the door to quantitative understanding of the mechanism that controls heterocyst spacing in filamentous cyanobacteria.

journal_name

Mol Microbiol

journal_title

Molecular microbiology

authors

Mullineaux CW,Nürnberg DJ

doi

10.1111/mmi.12851

subject

Has Abstract

pub_date

2014-12-01 00:00:00

pages

1208-12

issue

6

eissn

0950-382X

issn

1365-2958

journal_volume

94

pub_type

评论,杂志文章
  • Antagonistic regulation of dgkA and plsB genes of phospholipid synthesis by multiple stress responses in Escherichia coli.

    abstract::Phospholipid homeostasis of the bacterial membrane is maintained by biochemical regulation of the synthesis enzymes depending on the environment. However, genes encoding phospholipid synthesis enzymes might also be regulated during stress responses, in order for the bacteria to adapt their growth to changing environme...

    journal_title:Molecular microbiology

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1111/j.1365-2958.2011.07641.x

    authors: Wahl A,My L,Dumoulin R,Sturgis JN,Bouveret E

    更新日期:2011-06-01 00:00:00

  • Rearrangements in the staphylococcal beta-lactamase-encoding plasmid, pIP1066, including a DNA inversion that generates two alternative transposons.

    abstract::The plasmid plP1066, harboured by by a methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strain isolated in France, carries genes specifying beta-lactamase. This plasmid undergoes numerous rearrangements. One of these was insertion, between the genes binR and sin encoding resolvases, of a 16 kb element which displayed the c...

    journal_title:Molecular microbiology

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1111/j.1365-2958.1995.mmi_17040769.x

    authors: Derbise A,Dyke KG,el Solh N

    更新日期:1995-08-01 00:00:00

  • Tn10/IS10 transposition is downregulated at the level of transposase expression by the RNA-binding protein Hfq.

    abstract::We show in this work that disruption of the hfq gene in Escherichia coli causes a large increase in IS10 transposition when IS10 is present on a multi-copy plasmid. Hfq is an RNA-binding protein that regulates the expression of a large number of genes at the post-transcriptional level by promoting the pairing of mRNAs...

    journal_title:Molecular microbiology

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1111/j.1365-2958.2010.07359.x

    authors: Ross JA,Wardle SJ,Haniford DB

    更新日期:2010-11-01 00:00:00

  • Differences in two Pseudomonas aeruginosa cbb3 cytochrome oxidases.

    abstract::Bacterial cytochrome cbb3 oxidases are members of the haeme-copper oxidase superfamily that are important for energy conservation by a variety of proteobacteria under oxygen-limiting conditions. The opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa is unusual in possessing two operons that each potentially encode a cbb3 o...

    journal_title:Molecular microbiology

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1046/j.1365-2958.2003.03904.x

    authors: Comolli JC,Donohue TJ

    更新日期:2004-02-01 00:00:00

  • Escherichia coli translocase: the unravelling of a molecular machine.

    abstract::Protein translocation across the bacterial cytoplasmic membrane has been studied extensively in Escherichia coli. The identification of the components involved and subsequent reconstitution of the purified translocation reaction have defined the minimal constituents that allowed extensive biochemical characterization ...

    journal_title:Molecular microbiology

    pub_type: 杂志文章,评审

    doi:10.1046/j.1365-2958.2000.01980.x

    authors: Manting EH,Driessen AJ

    更新日期:2000-07-01 00:00:00

  • Rac1 and Cdc42 regulate hyphal growth and cytokinesis in the dimorphic fungus Ustilago maydis.

    abstract::Small GTP-binding proteins of the highly conserved Rho family act as molecular switches regulating cell signalling, cytoskeletal organization and vesicle trafficking in eukaryotic cells. Here we show that in the dimorphic plant pathogenic fungus Ustilago maydis deletion of either cdc42 or rac1 results in loss of virul...

    journal_title:Molecular microbiology

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1111/j.1365-2958.2005.04952.x

    authors: Mahlert M,Leveleki L,Hlubek A,Sandrock B,Bölker M

    更新日期:2006-01-01 00:00:00

  • Ten families of variant genes encoded in subtelomeric regions of multiple chromosomes of Plasmodium chabaudi, a malaria species that undergoes antigenic variation in the laboratory mouse.

    abstract::The chromosome ends of human malaria parasites harbour many genes encoding proteins that are exported to the surface of infected red cells, often being involved in host-parasite interactions and immune evasion. Unlike other murine malaria parasites Plasmodium chabaudi undergoes antigenic variation during passage in th...

    journal_title:Molecular microbiology

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1046/j.1365-2958.2003.03491.x

    authors: Fischer K,Chavchich M,Huestis R,Wilson DW,Kemp DJ,Saul A

    更新日期:2003-06-01 00:00:00

  • Lipooligosaccharide biosynthesis in Neisseria gonorrhoeae: cloning, identification and characterization of the alpha 1,5 heptosyltransferase I gene (rfaC)

    abstract::The identical partial deep-core structure of Hep alpha 1-3Hep alpha 1-5KDO in Salmonella typhimurium LT2 LPS and Neisseria gonorrhoeae LOS enabled us to isolate a DNA fragment from N. gonorrhoeae that was able to complement the alpha 1,5 LOS heptosyltransferase defect in the S. typhimurium rfaC630 (SA1377) mutant. SDS...

    journal_title:Molecular microbiology

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1111/j.1365-2958.1994.tb01300.x

    authors: Zhou D,Lee NG,Apicella MA

    更新日期:1994-11-01 00:00:00

  • Light-dependent gene activation in Aspergillus nidulans is strictly dependent on phytochrome and involves the interplay of phytochrome and white collar-regulated histone H3 acetylation.

    abstract::The ability for light sensing is found from bacteria to humans but relies only on a small number of evolutionarily conserved photoreceptors. A large number of fungi react to light, mostly to blue light. Aspergillus nidulans also responds to red light using a phytochrome light sensor, FphA, for the control of hundreds ...

    journal_title:Molecular microbiology

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1111/mmi.13062

    authors: Hedtke M,Rauscher S,Röhrig J,Rodríguez-Romero J,Yu Z,Fischer R

    更新日期:2015-08-01 00:00:00

  • Identification of the DotL coupling protein subcomplex of the Legionella Dot/Icm type IV secretion system.

    abstract::Legionella pneumophila, the causative agent of Legionnaires' disease, survives in macrophages by altering the endocytic pathway of its host cell. To accomplish this, the bacterium utilizes a type IVB secretion system to deliver effector molecules into the host cell cytoplasm. In a previous report, we performed an exte...

    journal_title:Molecular microbiology

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1111/j.1365-2958.2012.08118.x

    authors: Vincent CD,Friedman JR,Jeong KC,Sutherland MC,Vogel JP

    更新日期:2012-07-01 00:00:00

  • Variation in 16S-23S rRNA intergenic spacer regions among Bacillus subtilis 168 isolates.

    abstract::The genome of the Bacillus subtilis 168-type strain contains 10 ribosomal RNA (rRNA) operons. In the intergenic spacer region (ISR) between the 16S and 23S rRNA genes, five rRNA operons, rrnI-H-G and rrnJ-W, lack a trinucleotide signature region. Precise determination of molecular weight (MW), using electrospray mass ...

    journal_title:Molecular microbiology

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1046/j.1365-2958.2001.02600.x

    authors: Shaver YJ,Nagpal ML,Fox KF,Rudner R,Fox A

    更新日期:2001-10-01 00:00:00

  • The RNA polymerase-binding protein RbpA confers basal levels of rifampicin resistance on Streptomyces coelicolor.

    abstract::RbpA is an RNA polymerase-binding protein that occurs in the actinomycete family of bacteria and is regulated by the disulphide stress-response sigma factor, sigma(R), in Streptomyces coelicolor. Here we demonstrate that rbpA null mutants exhibit a slow-growth phenotype and are particularly sensitive to the transcript...

    journal_title:Molecular microbiology

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1111/j.1365-2958.2006.05116.x

    authors: Newell KV,Thomas DP,Brekasis D,Paget MS

    更新日期:2006-05-01 00:00:00

  • Cooperative amino acid changes shift the response of the σ⁵⁴-dependent regulator XylR from natural m-xylene towards xenobiotic 2,4-dinitrotoluene.

    abstract::XylR is a σ⁵⁴-dependent transcriptional factor of Pseudomonas putida that activates the Pu promoter of the TOL plasmid upon binding its natural effector, m-xylene. The search for mutants of the signal-sensing module of XylR that respond to the xenobiotic compound 2,4-dinitrotoluene recurrently yields protein variants ...

    journal_title:Molecular microbiology

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1111/j.1365-2958.2010.07518.x

    authors: de Las Heras A,de Lorenzo V

    更新日期:2011-03-01 00:00:00

  • Human Menkes X-chromosome disease and the staphylococcal cadmium-resistance ATPase: a remarkable similarity in protein sequences.

    abstract::A search with the proposed amino acid translation product from the new 'candidate gene' for human Menkes disease against protein sequence libraries showed a remarkable similarity to that for the cadmium efflux ATPase from Staphylococcus aureus resistance plasmids. The Menkes sequence appears closer to the CadA Cd2+ se...

    journal_title:Molecular microbiology

    pub_type: 杂志文章,评审

    doi:10.1111/j.1365-2958.1993.tb00898.x

    authors: Silver S,Nucifora G,Phung LT

    更新日期:1993-10-01 00:00:00

  • A tertiary structural element in S box leader RNAs is required for S-adenosylmethionine-directed transcription termination.

    abstract::The S box transcription termination control system regulates expression of genes involved in methionine metabolism. Expression of the S box regulon, comprised of 11 transcriptional units in Bacillus subtilis, is induced in response to starvation for methionine. We previously demonstrated that S-adenosylmethionine (SAM...

    journal_title:Molecular microbiology

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1111/j.1365-2958.2005.04740.x

    authors: McDaniel BA,Grundy FJ,Henkin TM

    更新日期:2005-08-01 00:00:00

  • Coupling of Escherichia coli hns mRNA levels to DNA synthesis by autoregulation: implications for growth phase control.

    abstract::The H-NS protein of enteric bacteria is one of the major proteins of the bacterial nucleoid and seems to play an important role in nucleoid structure. Transcription of the hns gene encoding the H-NS protein appears to be negatively regulated by H-NS itself both in vitro and in vivo. We have examined the role of this m...

    journal_title:Molecular microbiology

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1111/j.1365-2958.1995.mmi_18010101.x

    authors: Free A,Dorman CJ

    更新日期:1995-10-01 00:00:00

  • The Rhizobium meliloti exoZl exoB fragment of megaplasmid 2: ExoB functions as a UDP-glucose 4-epimerase and ExoZ shows homology to NodX of Rhizobium leguminosarum biovar viciae strain TOM.

    abstract::A 2.6 kb ClaI-BamHI DNA fragment of megaplasmid 2 of Rhizobium meliloti 2011 was found to carry genes involved in exopolysaccharide synthesis and infection of alfalfa nodules. The analysis of the nucleotide sequence of this DNA fragment revealed the existence of two open reading frames (ORFs) running in opposite direc...

    journal_title:Molecular microbiology

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1111/j.1365-2958.1991.tb00799.x

    authors: Buendia AM,Enenkel B,Köplin R,Niehaus K,Arnold W,Pühler A

    更新日期:1991-06-01 00:00:00

  • Genetic linkage analyses redefine the roles of PfCRT and PfMDR1 in drug accumulation and susceptibility in Plasmodium falciparum.

    abstract::Resistance to quinoline antimalarial drugs has emerged in different parts of the world and involves sets of discrete mutational changes in pfcrt and pfmdr1 in the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. To better understand how the different polymorphic haplotypes of pfmdr1 and pfcrt contribute to drug resistanc...

    journal_title:Molecular microbiology

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1111/j.1365-2958.2011.07855.x

    authors: Sanchez CP,Mayer S,Nurhasanah A,Stein WD,Lanzer M

    更新日期:2011-11-01 00:00:00

  • Light-dependent and asynchronous replication of cyanobacterial multi-copy chromosomes.

    abstract::While bacteria such as Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis harbour a single circular chromosome, some freshwater cyanobacteria have multiple chromosomes p er cell. The detailed mechanism(s) of cyanobacterialreplication remains unclear. To elucidate the replication origin (ori ), form and synchrony of the multi-copy...

    journal_title:Molecular microbiology

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1111/j.1365-2958.2012.07971.x

    authors: Watanabe S,Ohbayashi R,Shiwa Y,Noda A,Kanesaki Y,Chibazakura T,Yoshikawa H

    更新日期:2012-02-01 00:00:00

  • An alternative, arginase-independent pathway for arginine metabolism in Kluyveromyces lactis involves guanidinobutyrase as a key enzyme.

    abstract::Most available knowledge on fungal arginine metabolism is derived from studies on Saccharomyces cerevisiae, in which arginine catabolism is initiated by releasing urea via the arginase reaction. Orthologues of the S. cerevisiae genes encoding the first three enzymes in the arginase pathway were cloned from Kluyveromyc...

    journal_title:Molecular microbiology

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1111/mmi.12666

    authors: Romagnoli G,Verhoeven MD,Mans R,Fleury Rey Y,Bel-Rhlid R,van den Broek M,Seifar RM,Ten Pierick A,Thompson M,Müller V,Wahl SA,Pronk JT,Daran JM

    更新日期:2014-07-01 00:00:00

  • Chlorinated phenols control the expression of the multidrug resistance efflux pump MexAB-OprM in Pseudomonas aeruginosa by interacting with NalC.

    abstract::NalC is a TetR type regulator that represses the multidrug efflux pump MexAB-OprM in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Here we explain the mechanism of NalC-mediated regulation of MexAB-OprM. We show that NalC non-covalently binds chlorinated phenols and chemicals containing chlorophenol side-chains such as triclosan. NalC-chlo...

    journal_title:Molecular microbiology

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1111/j.1365-2958.2011.07544.x

    authors: Ghosh S,Cremers CM,Jakob U,Love NG

    更新日期:2011-03-01 00:00:00

  • TcpM: a novel relaxase that mediates transfer of large conjugative plasmids from Clostridium perfringens.

    abstract::Conjugative transfer of toxin and antibiotic resistance plasmids in Clostridium perfringens is mediated by the tcp conjugation locus. Surprisingly, neither a relaxase gene nor an origin of transfer (oriT) has been identified on these plasmids, which are typified by the 47 kb tetracycline resistance plasmid pCW3. The t...

    journal_title:Molecular microbiology

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1111/mmi.13270

    authors: Wisniewski JA,Traore DA,Bannam TL,Lyras D,Whisstock JC,Rood JI

    更新日期:2016-03-01 00:00:00

  • Protected environments allow parallel evolution of a bacterial pathogen in a patient subjected to long-term antibiotic therapy.

    abstract::Long-term antibiotic treatment offers a rare opportunity to study the evolution of bacteria within the same individual. The appearance of new variants has been suggested to take place via the selection of enhanced resistance in compartments of the body in which the antibiotic concentration is low. Laboratory models of...

    journal_title:Molecular microbiology

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1046/j.1365-2958.2001.02647.x

    authors: Low AS,MacKenzie FM,Gould IM,Booth IR

    更新日期:2001-11-01 00:00:00

  • Organization of the genes necessary for hydrogenase expression in Rhodobacter capsulatus. Sequence analysis and identification of two hyp regulatory mutants.

    abstract::A 25 kbp DNA fragment from the chromosome of Rhodobacter capsulatus B10 carrying hydrogenase (hup) determinants was completely sequenced. Coding regions corresponding to 20 open reading frames were identified. The R. capsulatus hydrogenase-specific gene (hup and hyp) products bear significant structural identity to hy...

    journal_title:Molecular microbiology

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1111/j.1365-2958.1993.tb01199.x

    authors: Colbeau A,Richaud P,Toussaint B,Caballero FJ,Elster C,Delphin C,Smith RL,Chabert J,Vignais PM

    更新日期:1993-04-01 00:00:00

  • A Francisella virulence factor catalyses an essential reaction of biotin synthesis.

    abstract::We recently identified a gene (FTN_0818) required for Francisella virulence that seemed likely involved in biotin metabolism. However, the molecular function of this virulence determinant was unclear. Here we show that this protein named BioJ is the enzyme of the biotin biosynthesis pathway that determines the chain l...

    journal_title:Molecular microbiology

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1111/mmi.12460

    authors: Feng Y,Napier BA,Manandhar M,Henke SK,Weiss DS,Cronan JE

    更新日期:2014-01-01 00:00:00

  • Structural analysis and molybdenum-dependent expression of the pAO1-encoded nicotine dehydrogenase genes of Arthrobacter nicotinovorans.

    abstract::The genes of nicotine dehydrogenase (NDH) were identified, cloned and sequenced from the catabolic plasmid pAO1 of Arthrobacter nicotinovorans. In immediate proximity to this gene cluster is the beginning of the 6-hydroxy-L-niotine oxidase (6-HLNO) gene. NDH is composed of three subunits (A, B and C) of M(r) 30,011, 1...

    journal_title:Molecular microbiology

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1111/j.1365-2958.1994.tb00484.x

    authors: Grether-Beck S,Igloi GL,Pust S,Schilz E,Decker K,Brandsch R

    更新日期:1994-09-01 00:00:00

  • Identification of the pH-inducible, proton-translocating F1F0-ATPase (atpBEFHAGDC) operon of Lactobacillus acidophilus by differential display: gene structure, cloning and characterization.

    abstract::The influence of low pH on inducible gene expression in Lactobacillus acidophilus was investigated by the use of differential display. Logarithmic phase cultures were exposed to pH 3.5 for various intervals, and RNA was isolated and reverse transcribed. The resultant cDNAs were subjected to PCR and the products were r...

    journal_title:Molecular microbiology

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1046/j.1365-2958.1999.01557.x

    authors: Kullen MJ,Klaenhammer TR

    更新日期:1999-09-01 00:00:00

  • Upregulation of thymidine kinase activity compensates for loss of thymidylate synthase activity in Mycoplasma pneumoniae.

    abstract::Thymidylate, an essential building block of DNA, is synthesized either from deoxyuridylate by thymidylate synthase (TS) or thymidine (dT) by thymidine kinase (TK). Thymidylate kinase (TMPK) phosphorylates dTMP to dTTP. Thymidine phosphorylase (TP) catalyses reversible phosphorolysis of dT. Using transposon mutagenesis...

    journal_title:Molecular microbiology

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1111/j.1365-2958.2010.07298.x

    authors: Wang L,Hames C,Schmidl SR,Stülke J

    更新日期:2010-09-01 00:00:00

  • The coupling between ftsZ transcription and initiation of DNA replication is not mediated by the DnaA-boxes upstream of ftsZ or by DnaA.

    abstract::The DnaA protein of Escherichia coli is a multi-functional protein which, In addition to promoting initiation of replication, can regulate the initiation or termination of transcription of a variety of genes. It acts by binding to DNA at a defined sequence, termed a DnaA-box. Three candidate DnaA-boxes which occur wit...

    journal_title:Molecular microbiology

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1046/j.1365-2958.1996.6431365.x

    authors: Smith RW,McAteer S,Masters M

    更新日期:1996-07-01 00:00:00

  • Binding of the low-density lipoprotein by streptococcal collagen-like protein Scl1 of Streptococcus pyogenes.

    abstract::Several bacterial genera express proteins that contain collagen-like regions, which are associated with variable (V) non-collagenous regions. The streptococcal collagen-like proteins, Scl1 and Scl2, of group A Streptococcus (GAS) are members of this 'prokaryotic collagen' family, and they too contain an amino-terminal...

    journal_title:Molecular microbiology

    pub_type: 杂志文章

    doi:10.1111/j.1365-2958.2006.05237.x

    authors: Han R,Caswell CC,Lukomska E,Keene DR,Pawlowski M,Bujnicki JM,Kim JK,Lukomski S

    更新日期:2006-07-01 00:00:00