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Asymmetrical Distribution of the Second Messenger c-di-GMP upon Bacterial Cell Division

2010; American Association for the Advancement of Science; Volume: 328; Issue: 5983 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1126/science.1188658

1095-9203

Matthias Christen, Hemantha D. Kulasekara, Beat Christen, Bridget R. Kulasekara, Lucas R. Hoffman, Samuel I. Miller,

Photoreceptor and optogenetics research

The bacterial second messenger cyclic diguanosine monophosphate (c-di-GMP) regulates cellular motility and the synthesis of organelles and molecules that promote adhesion to a variety of biological and nonbiological surfaces. These properties likely require tight spatial and temporal regulation of c-di-GMP concentration. We have developed genetically encoded fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based biosensors to monitor c-di-GMP concentrations within single bacterial cells by microscopy. Fluctuations of c-di-GMP were visualized in diverse Gram-negative bacterial species and observed to be cell cycle dependent. Asymmetrical distribution of c-di-GMP in the progeny correlated with the time of cell division and polarization for Caulobacter crescentus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Thus, asymmetrical distribution of c-di-GMP was observed as part of cell division, which may indicate an important regulatory step in extracellular organelle biosynthesis or function.