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The role of calcium in stalk development and in phosphate acquisition in Caulobacter crescentus

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Abstract

Calcium was found to stimulate stalk development in Caulobacter crescentus and to relieve the inhibition of development long known to be caused by phosphate. This suggested that phosphate inhibition could be attributed to its interaction with Ca2+, thereby depriving the cells of a factor that promoted development. Calcium was also found to promote phosphate acquisition by the cells, observed as acceleration of growth at extremes of phosphate concentration, as promotion of carbon-source utilization rather than storage, and as support for phosphate-dependent resistance to arsenate inhibition of growth. Cytological studies of dividing cells revealed that stalked siblings had greater access to exogenous phosphate for use in growth or for storage as polyphosphate, and that access of non-stalked sibling to phosphate was dependent on the length of the stalk of the dividing cell. It was concluded that the physiologic role of the stalk is enhancement of phosphate acquisition. The stimulatory role of calcium in this process was attributed to its support of stalk development and to its stabilization of internal membrane/cell envelope association within the cell-stalk juncture.

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Abbreviations

EGTA:

(ethyleneglycol-bis-(β-aminoethyl ether)-N,N′-tetraacetic acid)

PHB:

(poly-β-hydroxybutyric acid)

Pn:

(inorganic polyphosphate)

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Public Health Research Institute of The City of New York, Inc., 455 First Avenue, 10016, New York, NY, USA

    Jeanne S. Poindexter

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  1. Jeanne S. Poindexter
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This report is dedicated to the memory of an outstanding teacher, Roger Y. Stanier. If he were available to evaluate this work, I could be confident of his providing the most incisive criticism; if not convinced, the reason(s) for his dissatisfaction would be made quite clear, and if convinced, his defense undoubtedly would enlarge my understanding of this microorganism

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Poindexter, J.S. The role of calcium in stalk development and in phosphate acquisition in Caulobacter crescentus . Arch. Microbiol. 138, 140–152 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00413014

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00413014

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