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Fluorescent D-amino-acids reveal bi-cellular cell wall modifications important for Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus predation

Kuru, Erkin; Lambert, Carey; Jonathon, Rittichier; Till, Rob; Ducret, Adrien; Derouaux, Adeline; Gray, Joe; Biboy, Jacob; Vollmer, Waldemar; VanNieuwenhze, Michael; Brun, Yves; Sockett, Liz

Fluorescent D-amino-acids reveal bi-cellular cell wall modifications important for Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus predation Thumbnail


Authors

Erkin Kuru

Rittichier Jonathon

Rob Till

Adrien Ducret

Adeline Derouaux

Joe Gray

Jacob Biboy

Waldemar Vollmer

Michael VanNieuwenhze

Yves Brun



Abstract

Modification of essential bacterial peptidoglycan (PG) containing cell walls can lead to antibiotic resistance, for example β-lactam resistance by L,D-transpeptidase activities. Predatory Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus are naturally antibacterial and combat infections by traversing, modifying and finally destroying walls of Gram-negative prey bacteria, modifying their own PG as they grow inside prey. Historically, these multi-enzymatic processes on two similar PG walls have proved challenging to elucidate. Here, with a PG labelling approach utilizing timed pulses of multiple fluorescent D-amino acids (FDAAs), we illuminate dynamic changes that predator and prey walls go through during the different phases of bacteria:bacteria invasion. We show formation of a reinforced circular port-hole in the prey wall; L,D-transpeptidaseBd mediated D-amino acid modifications strengthening prey PG during Bdellovibrio invasion and a zonal mode of predator-elongation. This process is followed by unconventional, multi-point and synchronous septation of the intracellular Bdellovibrio, accommodating odd- and even-numbered progeny formation by non-binary division.

Citation

Kuru, E., Lambert, C., Jonathon, R., Till, R., Ducret, A., Derouaux, A., …Sockett, L. (2017). Fluorescent D-amino-acids reveal bi-cellular cell wall modifications important for Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus predation. Nature Microbiology, 2(12), 1648-1657. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41564-017-0029-y

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Aug 11, 2017
Online Publication Date Oct 3, 2017
Publication Date 2017-12
Deposit Date Sep 7, 2017
Publicly Available Date Oct 12, 2017
Journal Nature Microbiology
Electronic ISSN 2058-5276
Publisher Nature Publishing Group
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 2
Issue 12
Pages 1648-1657
DOI https://doi.org/10.1038/s41564-017-0029-y
Public URL https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/885977
Publisher URL https://www.nature.com/articles/s41564-017-0029-y
Contract Date Sep 7, 2017