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A CtrA homolog affects swarming motility and encystment in Rhodospirillum centenum

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Abstract

The α-proteobacterium, Rhodospirillum centenum, has a complex life cycle that allows adaptation to different environments. Transitions between vegetative swim cell and swarmer cell types depend on whether the organism is growing in liquid surroundings or on a solid substrate. Moreover, starvation can induce vegetative cells to differentiate into quiescent cysts. This paper describes the results of our investigation into the role of a putative DNA-binding response regulator that is homologous to CtrA, the cell cycle regulator from Caulobacter crescentus. Deletion of ctrA from the R. centenum genome resulted in a viable strain with impaired swarming motility coupled with an increased tendency to form cysts. Conversely, overexpression of wild type CtrA or a phosphomimetic allele, CtrAD51E, suppressed cyst cell formation, whereas overexpression of a CtrAD51A allele failed to suppress encystment but did prevent swarming motility. Thus, we propose that CtrA participates within a two-component signal transduction pathway that promotes swarming motility while contributing to the suppression of cyst cell formation.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Jenny Smith and Lissa Mojica for technical assistance. We also thank Carl Bauer and Curtis Loer for helpful comments during the preparation of this manuscript. An Undergraduate Research Fellowship awarded to A. MacKrell by the American Society for Microbiology supported this work.

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  1. Biology Department, University of San Diego, 5998 Alcalá Park, San Diego, CA, 92110, USA

    Terry H. Bird & Allison MacKrell

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  1. Terry H. Bird
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  2. Allison MacKrell
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Correspondence to Terry H. Bird.

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Communicated by Erko Stackebrandt.

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Bird, T.H., MacKrell, A. A CtrA homolog affects swarming motility and encystment in Rhodospirillum centenum . Arch Microbiol 193, 451–459 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00203-011-0676-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00203-011-0676-y

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