Cytoskeletal components can turn wall-less spherical bacteria into kinking helices

Carole Lartigue, Bastien Lambert, Fabien Rideau, Yorick Dahan, Marion Decossas, Mélanie Hillion, Jean-Paul Douliez, Julie Hardouin, Olivier Lambert, Alain Blanchard and Laure Béven ()
Additional contact information
Carole Lartigue: Univ. Bordeaux, INRAE, BFP, UMR 1332
Bastien Lambert: Univ. Bordeaux, INRAE, BFP, UMR 1332
Fabien Rideau: Univ. Bordeaux, INRAE, BFP, UMR 1332
Yorick Dahan: Univ. Bordeaux, INRAE, BFP, UMR 1332
Marion Decossas: University Bordeaux, CNRS, CBMN UMR 5248, Bordeaux INP
Mélanie Hillion: University of Rouen Normandy, UNIROUEN, INSA Rouen, CNRS, Polymers, Biopolymers, Surfaces Laboratory
Jean-Paul Douliez: Univ. Bordeaux, INRAE, BFP, UMR 1332
Julie Hardouin: University of Rouen Normandy, UNIROUEN, INSA Rouen, CNRS, Polymers, Biopolymers, Surfaces Laboratory
Olivier Lambert: University Bordeaux, CNRS, CBMN UMR 5248, Bordeaux INP
Alain Blanchard: Univ. Bordeaux, INRAE, BFP, UMR 1332
Laure Béven: Univ. Bordeaux, INRAE, BFP, UMR 1332

Nature Communications, 2022, vol. 13, issue 1, 1-12

Abstract: Abstract Bacterial cell shape is generally determined through an interplay between the peptidoglycan cell wall and cytoplasmic filaments made of polymerized MreB. Indeed, some bacteria (e.g., Mycoplasma) that lack both a cell wall and mreB genes consist of non-motile cells that are spherical or pleomorphic. However, other members of the same class Mollicutes (e.g., Spiroplasma, also lacking a cell wall) display a helical cell shape and kink-based motility, which is thought to rely on the presence of five MreB isoforms and a specific fibril protein. Here, we show that heterologous expression of Spiroplasma fibril and MreB proteins confers helical shape and kinking ability to Mycoplasma capricolum cells. Isoform MreB5 is sufficient to confer helicity and kink propagation to mycoplasma cells. Cryoelectron microscopy confirms the association of cytoplasmic MreB filaments with the plasma membrane, suggesting a direct effect on membrane curvature. However, in our experiments, the heterologous expression of MreBs and fibril did not result in efficient motility in culture broth, indicating that additional, unknown Spiroplasma components are required for swimming.

Date: 2022
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34478-0

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