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Journal of Bacteriology, July 1999, p. 4381-4390, Vol. 181, No. 14
0021-9193/99/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1999, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Genetic and Molecular Analysis of cglB, a Gene Essential for Single-Cell Gliding in Myxococcus xanthus

Ana M. Rodriguez and Alfred M. Spormann*

Environmental Engineering and Science, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305-4020

Received 6 October 1998/Accepted 4 May 1999

Gliding movements of individual isolated Myxococcus xanthus cells depend on the genes of the A-motility system (agl and cgl genes). Mutants carrying defects in those genes are unable to translocate as isolated cells on solid surfaces. The motility defect of cgl mutants can be transiently restored to wild type by extracellular complementation upon mixing mutant cells with wild-type or other motility mutant cells. To develop a molecular understanding of the function of a Cgl protein in gliding motility, we cloned the cglB wild-type allele by genetic complementation of the mutant phenotype. The nucleotide sequence of a 2.85-kb fragment was determined and shown to encode two complete open reading frames. The CglB protein was determined to be a 416-amino-acid putative lipoprotein with an unusually high cysteine content. The CglB antigen localized to the membrane fraction. The swarming and gliding defects of a constructed Delta cglB mutant were fully restored upon complementation with the cglB wild-type allele. Experiments with a cglB allele encoding a CglB protein with a polyhistidine tag at the C terminus showed that this allele also promoted wild-type levels of swarming and single-cell gliding, but was unable to stimulate Delta cglB cells to move. Possible functions of CglB as a mechanical component or as a signal protein in single cell gliding are discussed.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Environmental Engineering and Science, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305-4020. Phone: (650) 723-3668. Fax: (650) 725-3164. E-mail: spormann{at}stanford.edu.

Journal of Bacteriology, July 1999, p. 4381-4390, Vol. 181, No. 14
0021-9193/99/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1999, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.


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