This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Jelsbak, L.
Right arrow Articles by Kaiser, D.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Jelsbak, L.
Right arrow Articles by Kaiser, D.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Journal of Bacteriology, March 2005, p. 2105-2112, Vol. 187, No. 6
0021-9193/05/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JB.187.6.2105-2112.2005
Copyright © 2005, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Regulating Pilin Expression Reveals a Threshold for S Motility in Myxococcus xanthus

Lotte Jelsbak{dagger} and Dale Kaiser*

Departments of Biochemistry and Developmental Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California

Received 17 August 2004/ Accepted 23 November 2004

An isopropyl-ß-D-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG)-inducible promoter was constructed in Myxococcus xanthus. The single-copy pilA gene encodes pilin, the monomer unit of M. xanthus type IV pili. To vary the level of pilA expression, we cloned its promoter in front of the lac operator, and a plasmid containing the construct was inserted into the chromosome of a {Delta}pilA strain. Induction of pilin expression increased smoothly as the dose of IPTG added to the culture was increased. IPTG-induced pilin rescued S motility of the {Delta}pilA strain to wild-type levels. The rate of S-motile swarming was found to be proportional to the number of pili (shear-sensitive pilin) produced rather than to the level of total pilin. In fact, S motility was not rescued until the total level of pilin was more than 50% of the wild-type level. This observation implies that a threshold concentration of pilin must be exceeded before the shear-sensitive material (pili) is polymerized in M. xanthus.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Developmental Biology, Beckman Center, B300, Stanford University School of Medicine, 279 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305-5329. Phone: (650) 723-6165. Fax: (650) 725-7739. E-mail: kaiser{at}cmgm.stanford.edu.

{dagger} Present address: Department of Veterinary Pathology, Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, DK-1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark.

Journal of Bacteriology, March 2005, p. 2105-2112, Vol. 187, No. 6
0021-9193/05/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JB.187.6.2105-2112.2005
Copyright © 2005, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Garcia-Moreno, D., Polanco, M. C., Navarro-Aviles, G., Murillo, F. J., Padmanabhan, S., Elias-Arnanz, M. (2009). A Vitamin B12-Based System for Conditional Expression Reveals dksA To Be an Essential Gene in Myxococcus xanthus. J. Bacteriol. 191: 3108-3119 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Jakovljevic, V., Leonardy, S., Hoppert, M., Sogaard-Andersen, L. (2008). PilB and PilT Are ATPases Acting Antagonistically in Type IV Pilus Function in Myxococcus xanthus. J. Bacteriol. 190: 2411-2421 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Parker, D., Kennan, R. M., Myers, G. S., Paulsen, I. T., Songer, J. G., Rood, J. I. (2006). Regulation of Type IV Fimbrial Biogenesis in Dichelobacter nodosus. J. Bacteriol. 188: 4801-4811 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology.   For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»