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J. Bacteriol., 09 1996, 5153-5158, Vol 178, No. 17
Copyright © 1996, American Society for Microbiology

A methyl-accepting protein involved in multiple-sugar chemotaxis by Cellulomonas gelida

W Hsing and E Canale-Parola
Department of Microbiology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst 01003, USA.

Tethered-cell and capillary assays indicated that L-methionine is required by Cellulomonas gelida for its normal cell motility pattern and chemotaxis and that S-adenosylmethionine is involved in sugar chemotaxis by this cellulolytic bacterium. In addition, in vivo methylation assays showed that several proteins were methylated in the absence of protein synthesis. The incorporated methyl groups were alkali sensitive. Of special interest was the observation that the methylation level of a 51,000-Mr protein increased two- to fivefold upon addition of various sugar attractants and decreased after the removal of the attractants. The increase was less pronounced in mutants defective in sugar chemotaxis and appeared to be specifically involved with sugar chemotaxis. Furthermore, cell fractionation and in vitro methylation assays demonstrated that the 51,000-Mr protein is located in the cytoplasmic membrane. These results suggest that a specific methyl-accepting chemotaxis protein is involved in multiple-sugar chemotaxis by C gelida. During chemotaxis, the changes of methylesterase activity in C gelida cells were similar to those in Escherichia coli RP437 cells, as determined by a continuous-flow assay for methanol evolution. Thus, the mechanism of methyl-accepting chemotaxis protein-mediated chemotaxis of the gram-positive C. gelida appears to be similar to that of the gram-negative E. coli rather than to that of other gram-positive bacteria, such as Bacillus subtilis.