Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Matthias D. Koch, Matthew E. Black, Endao Han, Joshua W. Shaevitz, Zemer Gitai
Summary: This study demonstrates that the human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa actively senses surface stiffness using type IV pili (TFP). Stiffness sensing is shown to be nonlinear and plays an important role in the induction of virulence factor regulator within a specific physiological range. Traction force measurements and pilus retraction experiments reveal that TFP is capable of deforming stiff substrates. A quantitative biomechanical model is developed to explain the transcriptional response to stiffness, and it is validated by manipulating the ATPase activity of TFP motors.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Hannah Q. Hughes, Kyle A. Floyd, Sajjad Hossain, Sweta Anantharaman, David T. Kysela, Mikls Zoldi, Laszl Barna, Yuanchen Yu, Michael P. Kappler, Triana N. Dalia, Ram C. Podicheti, Douglas B. Rusch, Meng Zhuang, Cassandra L. Fraser, Yves Brun, Stephen C. Jacobson, James B. McKinlay, Fitnat H. Yildiz, Elizabeth M. Boon, Ankur B. Dalia
Summary: This research uncovers a regulatory pathway in Vibrio cholerae that allows rapid termination of biofilm formation, dependent on the phosphodiesterase CdpA and the signaling molecule nitric oxide. This sheds light on how bacterial species integrate environmental cues to regulate pilus dynamics and attachment.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Matthias D. Koch, Chenyi Fei, Ned S. Wingreen, Joshua W. Shaevitz, Zemer Gitai
Summary: Researchers labeled TFP in Pseudomonas aeruginosa and tracked extension and retraction cycles of individual filaments, finding that dynamics are stochastic and TFP can pause between extension or retraction events. They developed a biophysical model based on stochastic binding of extension and retraction motors, showing that the retraction motor dictates pilus production rate and is bound to pilus machines even in their unpiliated state. JSNameOur model quantitatively agrees with a variety of experiments, suggesting that the competition of stochastic motor binding to the pilus machine coordinates the repetitive cycle of pilus extension and retraction.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Jennifer L. Chlebek, Triana N. Dalia, Nicolas Biais, Ankur B. Dalia
Summary: Bacteria use dynamic appendages called type IV pili (T4P) to interact with their environment and perform various functions. This study focuses on the mechanism and regulation of motor-independent retraction of T4P, demonstrating that certain conformational changes during extension and retraction may impact the ability of pili to retract without a dedicated retraction motor. Understanding these mechanisms could aid in the development of therapeutics targeting the dynamic activity of pili.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Microbiology
Courtney K. Ellison, Gregory B. Whitfield, Yves Brun
Summary: This review discusses recent progress in understanding the function, regulation, and mechanisms of T4P dynamics.
FEMS MICROBIOLOGY REVIEWS
(2022)
Article
Fisheries
Jizhen Cao, Chun Liu, Qing Wang, Defeng Zhang, Ouqin Chang, Yingying Wang, Cunbin Shi, Linchuan Wang
Summary: Aeromonas schubertii is associated with a disease causing multi-organ necrosis in cultured snakehead fish. The Tap pili formation mediated by tapM/N/O/P/Q gene cluster is essential for pathogenicity, affecting oxidative stress resistance, pH tolerance, and adhesion ability of the bacterium. In infected fish, expression of immune response markers was similar between mutant and wild-type strains.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Bingliang Xie, Jian Wang, Yong Nie, Jing Tian, Zerui Wang, Dongwei Chen, Beiyu Hu, Xiao-Lei Wu, Wenbin Du
Summary: Recent studies have identified a novel microbial community called TM7, which is an obligate symbiont that binds to its host through twitching-like motility mediated by type IV pili (T4P). This research provides insights into the lifestyle of TM7 and the diversity of CPR bacteria.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Review
Microbiology
Michael J. Sheedlo, Melanie D. Ohi, D. Borden Lacy, Timothy L. Coverid
Summary: Bacterial type IV secretion systems (T4SSs) are versatile nanomachines that can transfer DNA and deliver proteins into various target cells. Cryo-electron tomography has revealed the structures of T4SSs, allowing for comparison of their molecular architectures and core complex structures. Structural variation among T4SSs may confer specialized functional properties.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Thomas Harwood, Esthefani G. Zuniga, HoJun Kweon, Douglas D. Risser
Summary: Motility in prokaryotic organisms, such as cyanobacteria, is common and can be regulated by chemotaxis-like systems that sense light indirectly, possibly through alterations in proton motive force. This study demonstrates that cyanobacteria have a GAF-independent means of sensing light to regulate motility and provides insight into how a chemotaxis-like system regulates the T4P motors. The conservation of this system in cyanobacteria suggests it is a ubiquitous means of regulating motility in response to light.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Kimberly A. Coggan, Matthew G. Higgs, Evan D. Brutinel, Jeremiah N. Marden, Peter J. Intile, Hanne C. Winther-Larsen, Michael Koomey, Timothy L. Yahr, Matthew C. Wolfgang
Summary: This study unveils two linked but independent regulatory systems governing Tfp biogenesis in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. We also demonstrate the importance of different phosphorylation states of the AlgZ/AlgR two-component system in Tfp biogenesis. Overall, this study furthers our understanding of the complex regulatory mechanisms that govern the production of a critical and multifaceted virulence factor.
Article
Microbiology
Nam Vo, Benjamin S. Sidner, Yafan Yu, Kurt H. Piepenbrink
Summary: Infections caused by pathogenic Acinetobacter species are a significant burden on healthcare systems due to their resistance to oral antibiotics. This resistance is attributed to various molecular mechanisms, including efflux pumps, carbapenemase enzymes, and biofilm formation. Phenothiazine compounds have been found to inhibit biofilm formation in multiple Acinetobacter species, suggesting their potential as lead compounds for the development of biofilm dispersal agents.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Evan Couser, Jennifer L. Chlebek, Ankur B. Dalia
Summary: Bacterial surface appendages called type IVa pili (T4aP) play important roles in various biological activities, and their dynamic extension and retraction rely on distinct ATPase motors. This study reveals that retraction ATPases are promiscuous and capable of promoting the retraction of a heterologous T4aP system, while extension ATPases are specific and cannot promote the extension of a heterologous T4aP.
JOURNAL OF BACTERIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Heather J. McDonald, HoJun Kweon, Shadi Kurnfuli, Douglas D. Risser
Summary: A DnaK-type chaperone system is identified to coordinate the activity of type IV pili (T4P) motors with the production of motility-associated polysaccharides in bacteria, providing a mechanism for the regulation of these processes.
Review
Microbiology
Pradip Kumar Singh, Janay Little, Michael S. Donnenberg
Summary: This article introduces the importance of type IV pili (T4P) and their impact on microbiology, and reviews the important discoveries and research milestones in this field. It also points out some important discoveries that are often overlooked in current reports.
MICROBIOLOGY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY REVIEWS
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Christopher J. Alteri, Nora Rios-Sarabia, Miguel A. De la Cruz, Jorge A. Gonzalez-y-Merchand, Jorge Soria-Bustos, Carmen Maldonado-Bernal, Maria L. Cedillo, Jorge A. Yanez-Santos, Ygnacio Martinez-Laguna, Javier Torres, Richard L. Friedman, Jorge A. Giron, Miguel A. Ares
Summary: The study found that expression of tad/flp genes was significantly higher in the stationary phase compared to other growth phases, indicating that the bacteria do not require type IV pili during dormancy. Elevated gene expression levels were recorded when the bacteria were in contact with macrophages or epithelial cells for 4 hours compared to bacteria propagated alone. Antibody detection showed the presence of Flp pili on intra- and extracellular bacteria infecting eukaryotic cells.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Tianchi Chen, Andrew Callan-Jones, Eduard Fedorov, Andrea Ravasio, Agusti Brugues, Hui Ting Ong, Yusuke Toyama, Boon Chuan Low, Xavier Trepat, Tom Shemesh, Raphael Voituriez, Benoit Ladoux
Review
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Wang Xi, Thuan Beng Saw, Delphine Delacour, Chwee Teck Lim, Benoit Ladoux
NATURE REVIEWS MATERIALS
(2019)
Article
Biophysics
Gregoire Peyret, Romain Mueller, Joseph d'Alessandro, Simon Begnaud, Philippe Marcq, Rene-Marc Mege, Julia M. Yeomans, Amin Doostmohammadi, Benoit Ladoux
BIOPHYSICAL JOURNAL
(2019)
Article
Cell Biology
Shiqiong Hu, Hanna Grobe, Zhenhuan Guo, Yu-Hsiu Wang, Bryant L. Doss, Meng Pan, Benoit Ladoux, Alexander D. Bershadsky, Ronen Zaidel-Bar
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF THE CELL
(2019)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Thao Nguyen, Laurence Duchesne, Gautham Hari Narayana Sankara Narayana, Nicole Boggetto, David D. Fernig, Chandrashekhar Uttamrao Murade, Benoit Ladoux, Rene-Marc Mege
Article
Oncology
Mei Shi Yeo, Vinod Vijay Subhash, Kazuto Suda, Hayri Emrah Balcioglu, Siqin Zhou, Win Lwin Thuya, Xin Yi Loh, Sriganesh Jammula, Praveen C. Peethala, Shi Hui Tan, Chen Xie, Foong Ying Wong, Benoit Ladoux, Yoshiaki Ito, Henry Yang, Boon Cher Goh, Lingzhi Wang, Wei Peng Yong
Article
Biology
Melina L. Heuze, Gautham Hari Narayana Sankara Narayana, Joseph D 'Alessandro, Victor Cellerin, Tien Dang, David S. Williams, Jan C. M. Van Hest, Philippe Marcq, Rene-Marc Mege, Benoit Ladoux
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Minerva Bosch-Fortea, Alejo E. Rodriguez-Fraticelli, Gonzalo Herranz, Mariam Hachimi, Maria D. Barea, Joanne Yong, Benoit Ladoux, Fernando Martin-Belmonte
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Minnah Thomas, Benoit Ladoux, Yusuke Toyama
Article
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Claire C. Beauchesne, Morgan Chabanon, Benjamin Smaniotto, Benoit Ladoux, Benoit Goyeau, Bertrand David
TISSUE ENGINEERING AND REGENERATIVE MEDICINE
(2020)
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
S. Tlili, M. Durande, C. Gay, B. Ladoux, F. Graner, H. Delanoe-Ayari
PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS
(2020)
News Item
Physics, Multidisciplinary
M. -A. Fardin, B. Ladoux
Summary: A class of biological matter, including elongated cells and filaments, can be described in the context of active nematic liquid crystals. Within these systems, topological defects emerge and lead to remarkable collective behaviors.
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Surabhi Sonam, Lakshmi Balasubramaniam, Shao-Zhen Lin, Ying Ming Yow Ivan, Irina Pi-Jauma, Cecile Jebane, Marc Karnat, Yusuke Toyama, Philippe Marcq, Jacques Prost, Rene-Marc Mege, Jean-Francois Rupprecht, Benoit Ladoux
Summary: Epithelial cells are influenced by mechanical stress and abrasion, impacting their integrity. Culturing epithelial cells on two-dimensional hydrogels showed that soft substrates resulted in a loss of epithelial monolayer integrity through hole formation. This rupture was associated with cellular stretching and cell division events.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Hayri E. Balcioglu, Lakshmi Balasubramaniam, Tomita Vasilica Stirbat, Bryant L. Doss, Marc-Antoine Fardin, Rene-Marc Mege, Benoit Ladoux
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Estelle Gauquelin, Sham Tlili, Cyprien Gay, Gregoire Peyret, Rene-Marc Mege, Marc A. Fardin, Benoit Ladoux