Type IV pili of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans are necessary for sliding, twitching motility, and adherence.
We used conventional methods to investigate the mechanism by which Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans colonizes a solid surface by assessing pili-mediated sliding, twitching motility, and adherence. A. ferrooxidans slided to form circular oxidized zones around each colony. This suggested that slide motility occurs through pili or flagella, though A. ferrooxidans strains ATCC 19859 and ATCC 23270 lack flagella. The results of reverse transcription-PCR demonstrated that the putative major pili gene of A. ferrooxidans strains ATCC 19859, ATCC 23270, and BY3 genes were transcribed. Culture of A. ferrooxidans between silicone gel and glass led to the production of type IV pili and the formation of rough twitching motility zones. When the bacteria were grown on lean ore cubes, pyrite was colonized readily by A. ferrooxidans and there is a correlation between pilus expression and strong attachment. However, non-pili bacteria attached minimally to the mineral surface. The results show a correlation between these functions and pilus expression.
Li
Yong-Quan
YQ
School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.
Wan
Dong-Shi
DS
Huang
Shuang-Sheng
SS
Leng
Fei-Fan
FF
Yan
Lei
L
Ni
Yong-Qing
YQ
Li
Hong-Yu
HY
D042763:Acidithiobacillus / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion / Q000502:physiology*; D036781:Fimbriae Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D010861:Fimbriae, Bacterial / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005407:Flagella / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial
D036781:Fimbriae Proteins