title: A Clp/Hsp100 chaperone functions in Myxococcus xanthus sporulation and self-organization.
abstract: The Clp/Hsp100 proteins are chaperones that play a role in protein degradation and reactivation. In bacteria, they exhibit a high degree of pleiotropy, affecting both individual and multicellular phenotypes. In this article, we present the first characterization of a Clp/Hsp100 homolog in Myxococcus xanthus (MXAN_4832 gene locus). Deletion of MXAN_4832 causes defects in both swarming and aggregation related to cell motility and the production of fibrils, which are an important component of the extracellular matrix of a swarm. The deletion also affects the formation of myxospores during development, causing them to become sensitive to heat. The protein product of MXAN_4832 can act as a chaperone in vitro, providing biochemical evidence in support of our hypothesis that MXAN_4832 is a functional Clp/Hsp100 homolog. There are a total of 12 Clp/Hsp100 homologs in M. xanthus, including MXAN_4832, and, based on its mutational and biochemical characterization, they may well represent an important group.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Jinyuan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Anthony G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Garza
authors.forename: Michael D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Bradley
authors.forename: Roy D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Welch
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D049071:Endopeptidase Clp / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016941:Myxococcus xanthus / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D013171:Spores, Bacterial / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D049071:Endopeptidase Clp