Abstract
The nucleotide-based second messenger bis-(3′-5′)-cyclic dimeric GMP (c-di-GMP) regulates multiple processes in bacteria including cellular motility. The rod-shaped Myxococcus xanthus cells move in the direction of their long axis using two distinct motility systems: type IV pili (T4P)-dependent motility and gliding motility. Manipulation of the c-di-GMP level by expression of either an active, heterologous diguanylate cyclase or an active, heterologous phosphodiesterase causes defects in T4P-dependent motility without affecting gliding motility. As both an increased and a decreased level of c-di-GMP affect T4P-dependent motility, M. xanthus represents a good model system to assess enzyme activity of diguanylate cyclases and phosphodiesterases using T4P-dependent motility as a readout. Here, we describe the assay, which allows correlating diguanylate cyclase and phosphodiesterase activity with T4P-dependent motility in M. xanthus.
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Acknowledgment
This work was supported by the German Research Council within the framework of the Collaborative Research Center 987 “Microbial Diversity in Environmental Signal Response” and the Max Planck Society.
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Skotnicka, D., Søgaard-Andersen, L. (2017). Type IV Pili-Dependent Motility as a Tool to Determine the Activity of c-di-GMP Modulating Enzymes in Myxococcus xanthus . In: Sauer, K. (eds) c-di-GMP Signaling. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 1657. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-7240-1_13
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-7240-1_13
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