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Journal of Bacteriology, July 2009, p. 4633-4638, Vol. 191, No. 14
0021-9193/09/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JB.00396-09
Copyright © 2009, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

High-Force Generation Is a Conserved Property of Type IV Pilus Systems{triangledown}

Martin Clausen,1 Vladimir Jakovljevic,2 Lotte Søgaard-Andersen,2 and Berenike Maier1*

Department for Biology, Westfälische Wilhelms Universität, Schlossplatz 5, 48149 Münster, Germany,1 Department of Ecophysiology, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Karl-von-Frisch-Straße, 35043 Marburg, Germany2

Received 24 March 2009/ Accepted 5 May 2009

The type IV pilus (T4P) system of Neisseria gonorrhoeae is the strongest linear molecular motor reported to date, but it is unclear whether high-force generation is conserved between bacterial species. Using laser tweezers, we found that the average stalling force of single-pilus retraction in Myxococcus xanthus of 149 ± 14 pN exceeds the force generated by N. gonorrhoeae. Retraction velocities including a bimodal distribution were similar between M. xanthus and N. gonorrhoeae, but force-dependent directional switching was not. Force generation by pilus retraction is energized by the ATPase PilT. Surprisingly, an M. xanthus mutant lacking PilT apparently still retracted T4P, although at a reduced frequency. The retraction velocity was comparable to the high-velocity mode in the wild type at low forces but decreased drastically when the force increased, with an average stalling force of 70 ± 10 pN. Thus, M. xanthus harbors at least two different retraction motors. Our results demonstrate that the major physical properties are conserved between bacteria that are phylogenetically distant and pursue very different lifestyles.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department for Biology, Westfälische Wilhelms Universität, Schlossplatz 5, 48149 Münster, Germany. Phone: 49 251 8323920. Fax: 49 251 8324723. E-mail: maierb{at}uni-muenster.de

{triangledown} Published ahead of print on 8 May 2009.

Journal of Bacteriology, July 2009, p. 4633-4638, Vol. 191, No. 14
0021-9193/09/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JB.00396-09
Copyright © 2009, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.





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