Flagellum mediates symbiosis.
We report here molecular mechanisms underlying a bacteria-archaeon symbiosis. We found that a fermentative bacterium used its flagellum for interaction with a specific methanogenic archaeon. The archaeon perceived a bacterial flagellum protein and activated its metabolism (methanogenesis). Transcriptome analyses showed that a substantial number of genes in the archaeon, including those involved in the methanogenesis pathway, were up-regulated after the contact with the flagellum protein. These findings suggest that the bacterium communicates with the archaeon by using its flagellum.
Shimoyama
Takefumi
T
Laboratory of Applied Microbiology, Marine Biotechnology Institute, 3-75-1 Heita, Kamaishi, Iwate 026-0001, Japan.
Kato
Souichiro
S
Ishii
Shun'ichi
S
Watanabe
Kazuya
K
D019843:Archaeal Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D005407:Flagella / Q000502:physiology*; D019848:Gene Expression Regulation, Archaeal; D006859:Hydrogen / Q000378:metabolism; D008697:Methane / Q000096:biosynthesis; D017013:Methanobacteriaceae / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D010459:Peptococcaceae / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013559:Symbiosis; D015854:Up-Regulation
D019843:Archaeal Proteins; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C076733:FlaD protein, Bacteria; D006859:Hydrogen; D008697:Methane