Bacterial cell motility of Burkholderia gut symbiont is required to colonize the insect gut

We generated a Burkholderia mutant, which is deficient of an N-acetylmuramyl-L-alanine amidase, AmiC, involved in peptidoglycan degradation. When non-motile Delta amiC mutant Burkholderia cells harboring chain form were orally administered to Riptortus insects, Delta amiC mutant cells were unable to establish symbiotic association. But, Delta amiC mutant complemented with amiC gene restored in vivo symbiotic association. Delta amiC mutant cultured in minimal medium restored their motility with single-celled morphology. When Delta amiC mutant cells harboring single-celled morphology were administered to the host insect, this mutant established normal symbiotic association, suggesting that bacterial motility is essential for the successful symbiosis between host insect and Burkhoideria symbiont. (C) 2015 Federation of European Biochemical Societies. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.