title: The involvement of the PilQ secretin of type IV pili in phage infection in Ralstonia solanacearum.
abstract: PilQ is a member of the secretin family of outer membrane proteins and specifically involved in type IV secretion. Here we report the effects of pilQ mutation in Ralstonia solanacearum on the host physiology including susceptibility to several phage types (Inoviridae, Podoviridae and Myoviridae). With three lines of cells, namely wild type, ΔpilQ and pilQ-complemented cells, the cell surface proteins, twitching motility and sensitivity to phages were compared. SDS-PAGE analysis revealed that the major TFP pilin (PilA) was specifically lost in pilQ mutants and was recovered in the complemented cells. Drastically inactivated twitching motility in pilQ mutants was recovered to the wild type level in the complemented cells. Several phages of different types including those of Inoviridae, Podoviridae, and Myoviridae that infect wild type cells could not form plaques on pilQ mutants but showed infectivity to pilQ-complemented cells. These results indicate that PilQ function is generally required for phage infection in R. solanacearum.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biotechnology, Graduate School of Advanced Sciences of Matter, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-8530, Japan; Study Program of Biology Education, University of Jember, Jember 68121, Indonesia.
authors.forename: Erlia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Narulita
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Agriculture, Center for Development of Advanced Sciences and Technology, University of Jember, Jember 68121, Indonesia.
authors.forename: Hardian Susilo
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Addy
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biotechnology, Graduate School of Advanced Sciences of Matter, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-8530, Japan.
authors.forename: Takeru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kawasaki
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biotechnology, Graduate School of Advanced Sciences of Matter, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-8530, Japan.
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fujie
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biotechnology, Graduate School of Advanced Sciences of Matter, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-8530, Japan. Electronic address: tayamad@hiroshima-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamada
mesh_terms: D001435:Bacteriophages / Q000502:physiology*; D036781:Fimbriae Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D010861:Fimbriae, Bacterial / Q000378:metabolism*; D043368:Ralstonia solanacearum / Q000166:cytology* / Q000821:virology*; D053586:Virus Internalization
chemical_list: C084295:pilQ protein, bacteria; D036781:Fimbriae Proteins
keywords: Host range; Phage susceptibility; PilQ mutant; Twitching motility