A contractile injection system is required for developmentally regulated cell death in Streptomyces coelicolor

Maria Vladimirov, Ruo Xi Zhang, Stefanie Mak, Justin R. Nodwell and Alan R. Davidson ()
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Maria Vladimirov: University of Toronto
Ruo Xi Zhang: University of Toronto
Stefanie Mak: University of Toronto
Justin R. Nodwell: University of Toronto
Alan R. Davidson: University of Toronto

Nature Communications, 2023, vol. 14, issue 1, 1-13

Abstract: Abstract Diverse bacterial species produce extracellular contractile injection systems (eCISs). Although closely related to contractile phage tails, eCISs can inject toxic proteins into eukaryotic cells. Thus, these systems are commonly viewed as cytotoxic defense mechanisms that are not central to other aspects of bacterial biology. Here, we provide evidence that eCISs appear to participate in the complex developmental process of the bacterium Streptomyces coelicolor. In particular, we show that S. coelicolor produces eCIS particles during its normal growth cycle, and that strains lacking functional eCIS particles exhibit pronounced alterations in their developmental program. Furthermore, eCIS-deficient mutants display reduced levels of cell death and altered morphology during growth in liquid media. Our results suggest that the main role of eCISs in S. coelicolor is to modulate the developmental switch that leads to aerial hyphae formation and sporulation, rather than to attack other species.

Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37087-7

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