Environmental Calcium Controls Alternate Physical States of the Caulobacter Surface Layer

Biophysical Journal
Jonathan HerrmannSoichi Wakatsuki

Abstract

Surface layers (S-layers) are paracrystalline, proteinaceous structures found in most archaea and many bacteria. Often the outermost cell envelope component, S-layers serve diverse functions including aiding pathogenicity and protecting against predators. We report that the S-layer of Caulobacter crescentus exhibits calcium-mediated structural plasticity, switching irreversibly between an amorphous aggregate state and the crystalline state. This finding invalidates the common assumption that S-layers serve only as static wall-like structures. In vitro, the Caulobacter S-layer protein, RsaA, enters the aggregate state at physiological temperatures and low divalent calcium ion concentrations. At higher concentrations, calcium ions stabilize monomeric RsaA, which can then transition to the two-dimensional crystalline state. Caulobacter requires micromolar concentrations of calcium for normal growth and development. Without an S-layer, Caulobacter is even more sensitive to changes in environmental calcium concentration. Therefore, this structurally dynamic S-layer responds to environmental conditions as an ion sensor and protects Caulobacter from calcium deficiency stress, a unique mechanism of bacterial adaptation. These findings ...Continue Reading

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Citations

Jul 6, 2017·Environmental Microbiology Reports·Bradley B TolarChristopher A Francis
Dec 19, 2019·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Jonathan HerrmannSoichi Wakatsuki
Dec 31, 2019·Cell·Andriko von KügelgenTanmay A M Bharat
Nov 14, 2019·The Journal of Physical Chemistry. B·Po-Nan LiHenry van den Bedem
Nov 5, 2021·Nature Reviews. Microbiology·Jiawei SunKerwyn Casey Huang

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Methods Mentioned

BETA
electrophoresis
FRET
transmission electron microscopy
size exclusion chromatography
gel filtration
circular dichroism
electron microscopy

Software Mentioned

Prism
MATLAB
Gatan
Digital Micrograph
GraphPad
JADE
SasTool

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