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Journal of Bacteriology, March 2002, p. 1540-1546, Vol. 184, No. 6
0021-9193/02/$04.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/JB.184.6.1540-1546.2002
Copyright © 2002, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

The DevT Protein Stimulates Synthesis of FruA, a Signal Transduction Protein Required for Fruiting Body Morphogenesis in Myxococcus xanthus

Anders Boysen,1 Eva Ellehauge,1 Bryan Julien,2,{dagger} and Lotte Søgaard-Andersen1*

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, 5230 Odense M, Denmark,1 Departments of Biochemistry and Developmental Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305-53292

Received 4 September 2001/ Accepted 11 December 2001

Fruiting body formation in Myxococcus xanthus involves three morphologic stages—rippling, aggregation, and sporulation—all of which are induced by the cell surface-associated C-signal. We analyzed the function of the DevT protein, a novel component in the C-signal response pathway. A mutant carrying an in-frame deletion in the devT gene displays delayed aggregation and a cell autonomous sporulation defect, whereas it remains rippling proficient. To further define the function of DevT, the methylation pattern of FrzCD, a cytoplasmic methyl-accepting chemotaxis protein homologue, was examined in the {Delta}devT mutant, and we found that DevT is required for methylation of FrzCD during development. Specifically, DevT was found to be required for the C-signal-dependent methylation of FrzCD. The {Delta}devT mutant produced wild-type levels of C-signal. However, accumulation of the FruA response regulator protein, which is essential for the execution of the C-signal-dependent responses, was reduced in the {Delta}devT mutant. The DevT protein was found to stimulate the developmentally activated transcription of the fruA gene. Epistasis analyses indicate that DevT acts independently of the A- and E-signals to stimulate fruA transcription. These findings suggest that the developmental defects of the {Delta}devT mutant are associated with a lack of FruA to ensure a proper response to the C-signal during the aggregation and sporulation stages of development.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Campusvej 55, 5230 Odense M, Denmark. Phone: 45-6550-2372. Fax: 45-6550-2467. E-mail: sogaard{at}bmb.sdu.dk.

{dagger} Present address: Kosan Biosciences, Hayward, CA 94545.

Journal of Bacteriology, March 2002, p. 1540-1546, Vol. 184, No. 6
0021-9193/02/$04.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/JB.184.6.1540-1546.2002
Copyright © 2002, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Viswanathan, P., Murphy, K., Julien, B., Garza, A. G., Kroos, L. (2007). Regulation of dev, an Operon That Includes Genes Essential for Myxococcus xanthus Development and CRISPR-Associated Genes and Repeats. J. Bacteriol. 189: 3738-3750 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
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