In:
Applied and Environmental Microbiology, American Society for Microbiology, Vol. 79, No. 23 ( 2013-12), p. 7188-7202
Abstract:
Cellulose fibrils play a role in attachment of Agrobacterium tumefaciens to its plant host. While the genes for cellulose biosynthesis in the bacterium have been identified, little is known concerning the regulation of the process. The signal molecule cyclic di-GMP (c-di-GMP) has been linked to the regulation of exopolysaccharide biosynthesis in many bacterial species, including A. tumefaciens . In this study, we identified two putative diguanylate cyclase genes, celR ( atu1297 ) and atu1060 , that influence production of cellulose in A. tumefaciens . Overexpression of either gene resulted in increased cellulose production, while deletion of celR , but not atu1060 , resulted in decreased cellulose biosynthesis. celR overexpression also affected other phenotypes, including biofilm formation, formation of a polar adhesion structure, plant surface attachment, and virulence, suggesting that the gene plays a role in regulating these processes. Analysis of celR and Δ cel mutants allowed differentiation between phenotypes associated with cellulose production, such as biofilm formation, and phenotypes probably resulting from c-di-GMP signaling, which include polar adhesion, attachment to plant tissue, and virulence. Phylogenetic comparisons suggest that species containing both celR and celA , which encodes the catalytic subunit of cellulose synthase, adapted the CelR protein to regulate cellulose production while those that lack celA use CelR, called PleD, to regulate specific processes associated with polar localization and cell division.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
0099-2240
,
1098-5336
DOI:
10.1128/AEM.02148-13
Language:
English
Publisher:
American Society for Microbiology
Publication Date:
2013
detail.hit.zdb_id:
223011-2
detail.hit.zdb_id:
1478346-0
SSG:
12
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