Conserved amplification of chemotactic responses through chemoreceptor interactions.
Many bacteria concentrate their chemoreceptors at the cell poles. Chemoreceptor location is important in Escherichia coli, since chemosensory responses are sensitive to receptor proximity. It is not known, however, whether chemotaxis in other bacteria is similarly regulated. To investigate the importance of receptor-receptor interactions in other bacterial species, we synthesized saccharide-bearing multivalent ligands that are designed to cluster relevant chemoreceptors. As has been shown with E. coli, we demonstrate that the behaviors of Bacillus subtilis, Spirochaete aurantia, and Vibrio furnissii are sensitive to the valence of the chemoattractant. Moreover, in B. subtilis, chemotactic responses to serine were increased by pretreatment with saccharide-bearing multivalent ligands. This result indicates that, as in E. coli, signaling information is transferred among chemoreceptors in B. subtilis. These results suggest that interreceptor communication may be a general mechanism for modulating chemotactic responses in bacteria.
Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin at Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA.
Allison C
AC
Lamanna
Jason E
JE
Gestwicki
Laura E
LE
Strong
Sara L
SL
Borchardt
Robert M
RM
Owen
Laura L
LL
Kiessling
D001419:Bacteria / Q000378:metabolism*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D002633:Chemotaxis / Q000502:physiology*; D006601:Hexoses / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000378:metabolism; D008024:Ligands; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D000072236:Methyl-Accepting Chemotaxis Proteins; D011108:Polymers / Q000378:metabolism; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000378:metabolism*; D012694:Serine / Q000494:pharmacology; D015398:Signal Transduction
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D006601:Hexoses; D008024:Ligands; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D000072236:Methyl-Accepting Chemotaxis Proteins; D011108:Polymers; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D012694:Serine