Pseudomonas aeruginosa Condensins Support Opposite Differentiation States
Abstract
Condensins play a key role in global chromosome packing. Pseudomonas aeruginosa encodes two condensins, SMC-ScpAB and MksBEF. We report here that the two proteins are involved in the differentiation of the bacterium and impose opposite physiological states. The inactivation of SMC induced a state characterized by increased adhesion to surfaces as well as defects in competitive growth and colony formation. In contrast, MksB-deficient cells were impaired in biofilm formation with no obvious defects during planktonic growth. The phenotype of the double mutant was dominated by the absence of MksB, indicating that the observed growth defects are regulatory in their nature rather than structural. ATPase mutations recapitulated many of the phenotypes of the condensins, indicating their requirement for a functional protein. Additionally, inactivation of condensins dramatically reduced the virulence of the bacterium in a murine model of lung infection. These data demonstrate that condensins are involved in the differentiation of P. aeruginosa and reveal their importance for pathogenicity.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Nov 01, 2016
- Source ID
- 10.1128/jb.00448-16
Entities
People
- April L. Clevenger
- Hang Zhao
- Helen I Zgurskaya
- Jerry W. Ritchey
- Valentin V Rybenkov
Organizations
- Defense Threat Reduction Agency
- National Institutes of Health
- Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology
- Oklahoma State University–Stillwater
- University of Oklahoma