scholarly journals Force and Stepwise Movements of Gliding Motility in Human Pathogenic Bacterium Mycoplasma pneumoniae

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masaki Mizutani ◽  
Yuya Sasajima ◽  
Makoto Miyata

Mycoplasma pneumoniae, a human pathogenic bacterium, binds to sialylated oligosaccharides and glides on host cell surfaces via a unique mechanism. Gliding motility is essential for initiating the infectious process. In the present study, we measured the stall force of an M. pneumoniae cell carrying a bead that was manipulated using optical tweezers on two strains. The stall forces of M129 and FH strains were averaged to be 23.7 and 19.7 pN, respectively, much weaker than those of other bacterial surface motilities. The binding activity and gliding speed of the M129 strain on sialylated oligosaccharides were eight and two times higher than those of the FH strain, respectively, showing that binding activity is not linked to gliding force. Gliding speed decreased when cell binding was reduced by addition of free sialylated oligosaccharides, indicating the existence of a drag force during gliding. We detected stepwise movements, likely caused by a single leg under 0.2-0.3 mM free sialylated oligosaccharides. A step size of 14-19 nm showed that 25-35 propulsion steps per second are required to achieve the usual gliding speed. The step size was reduced to less than half with the load applied using optical tweezers, showing that a 2.5 pN force from a cell is exerted on a leg. The work performed in this step was 16-30% of the free energy of the hydrolysis of ATP molecules, suggesting that this step is linked to the elementary process of M. pneumoniae gliding. We discuss a model to explain the gliding mechanism, based on the information currently available.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masaki Mizutani ◽  
Yuya Sasajima ◽  
Makoto Miyata

Mycoplasma pneumoniae, a human pathogenic bacterium, binds to sialylated oligosaccharides and glides on host cell surfaces via a unique mechanism. Gliding motility is essential for initiating the infectious process. In the present study, we measured the stall force of an M. pneumoniae cell carrying a bead that was manipulated using optical tweezers on two strains. The stall forces of M129 and FH strains were averaged to be 23.7 and 19.7 pN, respectively, much weaker than those of other bacterial surface motilities. The binding activity and gliding speed on sialylated oligosaccharides of the M129 strain were eight and two times higher than those of the FH strain, respectively, showing that binding activity is not linked to gliding force. Gliding speed decreased when cell binding was reduced by addition of free sialylated oligosaccharides, indicating the existence of a drag force during gliding. We detected stepwise movements under 0.2‒0.3 mM free sialylated oligosaccharides. A step size of 14‒19 nm showed that 25‒35 propulsion steps per second are required to achieve the usual gliding speed. The step size was reduced to less than half with the load applied using optical tweezers, showing that a 2.5 pN force from a cell is exerted on a leg. The work performed in this step was 16‒30% of the free energy of the hydrolysis of ATP molecules, suggesting that this step is linked to the elementary process of M. pneumoniae gliding.


mBio ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Akihiro Kawamoto ◽  
Lisa Matsuo ◽  
Takayuki Kato ◽  
Hiroki Yamamoto ◽  
Keiichi Namba ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTMycoplasma pneumoniae, a pathogenic bacterium, glides on host surfaces using a unique mechanism. It forms an attachment organelle at a cell pole as a protrusion comprised of knoblike surface structures and an internal core. Here, we analyzed the three-dimensional structure of the organelle in detail by electron cryotomography. On the surface, knoblike particles formed a two-dimensional array, albeit with limited regularity. Analyses using a nonbinding mutant and an antibody showed that the knoblike particles correspond to a naplike structure that has been observed by negative-staining electron microscopy and is likely to be formed as a complex of P1 adhesin, the key protein for binding and gliding. The paired thin and thick plates feature a rigid hexagonal lattice and striations with highly variable repeat distances, respectively. The combination of variable and invariant structures in the internal core and the P1 adhesin array on the surface suggest a model in which axial extension and compression of the thick plate along a rigid thin plate is coupled with attachment to and detachment from the substrate during gliding.IMPORTANCEHuman mycoplasma pneumonia, epidemic all over the world in recent years, is caused by a pathogenic bacterium,Mycoplasma pneumoniae. This tiny bacterium, about 2 µm in cell body length, glides on the surface of the human trachea to infect the host by binding to sialylated oligosaccharides, which are also the binding targets of influenza viruses. The mechanism of mycoplasmal gliding motility is not related to any other well-studied motility systems, such as bacterial flagella and cytoplasmic motor proteins. Here, we visualized the attachment organelle, a cellular architecture for gliding, three dimensionally by using electron cryotomography and other conventional methods. A possible gliding mechanism has been suggested based on the architectural images.


2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masaki Mizutani ◽  
Isil Tulum ◽  
Yoshiaki Kinosita ◽  
Takayuki Nishizaka ◽  
Makoto Miyata

ABSTRACTMycoplasma mobileis a bacterium that uses a unique mechanism to glide on solid surfaces at a velocity of up to 4.5 µm/s. Its gliding machinery comprises hundreds of units that generate the force for gliding based on the energy derived from ATP; the units catch and pull on sialylated oligosaccharides fixed to solid surfaces. In the present study, we measured the stall force of wild-type and mutant strains ofM. mobilecarrying a bead manipulated using optical tweezers. The strains that had been enhanced for binding exhibited weaker stall forces than the wild-type strain, indicating that stall force is related to force generation rather than to binding. The stall force of the wild-type strain decreased linearly from 113 to 19 pN following the addition of 0–0.5 mM free sialyllactose (a sialylated oligosaccharide), with a decrease in the number of working units. Following the addition of 0.5 mM sialyllactose, the cells carrying a bead loaded using optical tweezers exhibited stepwise movements with force increments. The force increments ranged from 1 to 2 pN. Considering the 70-nm step size, this small unit force may be explained by the large gear ratio involved in theM. mobilegliding machinery.SIGNIFICANCEMycoplasmais a genus of bacteria that parasitizes animals. Dozens ofMycoplasmaspecies glide over the tissues of their hosts during infection. The gliding machinery ofMycoplasma mobile, the fastest species, includes intracellular motors and hundreds of legs on the cell surface. In the present study, we precisely measured force generation using a highly focused laser beam arrangement (referred to as optical tweezers) under various conditions. The measurements obtained in this study suggest that the rapid gliding exhibited byM. mobilearises from the large gear ratio of its gliding machinery.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Bugiel ◽  
Mayank Chugh ◽  
Tobias Jörg Jachowski ◽  
Erik Schäffer ◽  
Anita Jannasch

ABSTRACTMicrotubules are highly dynamic filaments with dramatic structural rearrangements and length changes during the cell cycle. An accurate control of the microtubule length is essential for many cellular processes in particular, during cell division. Motor proteins from the kinesin-8 family depolymerize microtubules by interacting with their ends in a collective and length-dependent manner. However, it is still unclear how kinesin-8 depolymerizes microtubules. Here, we tracked the microtubule end-binding activity of yeast kinesin-8, Kip3, under varying loads and nucleotide conditions using high-precision optical tweezers. We found that single Kip3 motors spent up to 200 s at the microtubule end and were not stationary there but took several 8-nm forward and backward steps that were suppressed by loads. Interestingly, increased loads, similar to increased motor concentrations, also exponentially decreased the motors’ residence time at the microtubule end. On the microtubule lattice, loads also exponentially decreased the run length and time. However, for the same load, lattice run times were significantly longer compared to end residence times suggesting the presence of a distinct force-dependent detachment mechanism at the microtubule end. The force dependence of the end residence time enabled us to estimate what force must act on a single motor to achieve the microtubule depolymerization speed of a motor ensemble. This force is higher than the stall force of a single Kip3 motor, supporting a collective force-dependent depolymerization mechanism that unifies the so-called “bump-off” and “switching” models. Understanding the mechanics of kinesin-8’s microtubule end activity will provide important insights into cell division with implications for cancer research.STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCEKinesin-8 motors are important for microtubule length regulation and are over-expressed in different types of cancer. Yet, on the molecular level, it is unclear how these motors depolymerize microtubules. Using high-precision optical tweezers, we measured how single yeast kinesin-8 motors, Kip3, interacted with the microtubule end. Interestingly, we found that single Kip3 motors were still motile at the microtubule end. The force dependence of how long single motors were associated with the microtubule end enabled us to estimate what force motors must exert onto each other to achieve the collective microtubule depolymerization speed of many motors. Our data support a collective force-dependent depolymerization mechanism. A better understanding of Kip3’s microtubule end activity has implications for cell division and associated diseases.


2016 ◽  
Vol 198 (17) ◽  
pp. 2352-2359 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoshito Kawakita ◽  
Miki Kinoshita ◽  
Yukio Furukawa ◽  
Isil Tulum ◽  
Yuhei O. Tahara ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTMycoplasma pneumoniaeis a human pathogen that glides on host cell surfaces with repeated catch and release of sialylated oligosaccharides. At a pole, this organism forms a protrusion called the attachment organelle, which is composed of surface structures, including P1 adhesin and the internal core structure. The core structure can be divided into three parts, the terminal button, paired plates, and bowl complex, aligned in that order from the front end of the protrusion. To elucidate the gliding mechanism, we focused on MPN387, a component protein of the bowl complex which is essential for gliding but dispensable for cytadherence. The predicted amino acid sequence showed that the protein features a coiled-coil region spanning residue 72 to residue 290 of the total of 358 amino acids in the protein. Recombinant MPN387 proteins were isolated with and without an enhanced yellow fluorescent protein (EYFP) fusion tag and analyzed by gel filtration chromatography, circular dichroism spectroscopy, analytical ultracentrifugation, partial proteolysis, and rotary-shadowing electron microscopy. The results showed that MPN387 is a dumbbell-shaped homodimer that is about 42.7 nm in length and 9.1 nm in diameter and includes a 24.5-nm-long central parallel coiled-coil part. The molecular image was superimposed onto the electron micrograph based on the localizing position mapped by fluorescent protein tagging. A proposed role of this protein in the gliding mechanism is discussed.IMPORTANCEHuman mycoplasma pneumonia is caused by a pathogenic bacterium,Mycoplasma pneumoniae. This tiny, 2-μm-long bacterium is suggested to infect humans by gliding on the surface of the trachea through binding to sialylated oligosaccharides. The mechanism underlying mycoplasma “gliding motility” is not related to any other well-studied motility systems, such as bacterial flagella and eukaryotic motor proteins. Here, we isolated and analyzed the structure of a key protein which is directly involved in the gliding mechanism.


2020 ◽  
Vol 88 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
Caitlin R. Williams ◽  
Li Chen ◽  
Edward S. Sheppard ◽  
Pradeep Chopra ◽  
Jason Locklin ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a cell wall-less bacterial pathogen of the conducting airways, causing bronchitis and atypical or “walking” pneumonia in humans. M. pneumoniae recognizes sialylated and sulfated oligosaccharide receptors to colonize the respiratory tract, but the contribution of the latter is particularly unclear. We used chamber slides coated with sulfatide (3-O-sulfogalactosylceramide) to provide a baseline for M. pneumoniae binding and gliding motility. As expected, M. pneumoniae bound to surfaces coated with sulfatide in a manner that was dependent on sulfatide concentration and incubation temperature and inhibited by competing dextran sulfate. However, mycoplasmas bound to sulfatide exhibited no gliding motility, regardless of receptor density. M. pneumoniae also bound lactose 3′-sulfate ligated to an inert polymer scaffold, and binding was inhibited by competing dextran sulfate. The major adhesin protein P1 mediates adherence to terminal sialic acids linked α-2,3, but P1-specific antibodies that blocked M. pneumoniae hemadsorption (HA) and binding to the sialylated glycoprotein laminin by 95% failed to inhibit mycoplasma binding to sulfatide, suggesting that P1 does not mediate binding to sulfated galactose. Consistent with this conclusion, the M. pneumoniae HA-negative mutant II-3 failed to bind to sialylated receptors but adhered to sulfatide in a temperature-dependent manner.


2007 ◽  
Vol 85 (5) ◽  
pp. 552-562 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian J. Hillier ◽  
Victor D. Vacquier

Amassin-1 mediates a rapid cell adhesion that tightly adheres sea urchin coelomocytes (body cavity immunocytes) together. Three major structural regions exist in amassin-1: a short β region, 3 coiled coils, and an olfactomedin domain. Amassin-1 contains 8 disulfide-bonded cysteines that, upon reduction, render it inactive. Truncated forms of recombinant amassin-1 were expressed and purified from Pichia pastoris and their disulfide bonding and biological activities investigated. Expressed alone, the olfactomedin domain contained 2 intramolecular disulfide bonds, existed in a monomeric state, and inhibited amassin-1-mediated clotting of coelomocytes by a calcium-dependent cell-binding activity. The N-terminal β region, containing 3 cysteines, was not required for clotting activity. The coiled coils may dimerize amassin-1 in a parallel orientation through a homodimerizing disulfide bond. Neither amassin-1 fragments that were disulfide-linked as dimers or that were engineered to exist as dimers induced coelomocytes clotting. Clotting required higher multimeric states of amassin-1, possibly tetramers, which occurred through the N-terminal β region and (or) the first segment of coiled coils.


Blood ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 105 (5) ◽  
pp. 2161-2167 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guangjun Nie ◽  
Alex D. Sheftel ◽  
Sangwon F. Kim ◽  
Prem Ponka

AbstractCytosolic ferritin sequesters and stores iron and, consequently, protects cells against iron-mediated free radical damage. However, the function of the newly discovered mitochondrial ferritin (MtFt) is unknown. To examine the role of MtFt in cellular iron metabolism, we established a cell line that stably overexpresses mouse MtFt under the control of a tetracycline-responsive promoter. The overexpression of MtFt caused a dose-dependent iron deficiency in the cytosol that was revealed by increased RNA-binding activity of iron regulatory proteins (IRPs) along with an increase in transferrin receptor levels and decrease in cytosolic ferritin. Consequently, the induction of MtFt resulted in a dramatic increase in cellular iron uptake from transferrin, most of which was incorporated into MtFt. The induction of MtFt caused a shift of iron from cytosolic ferritin to MtFt. In addition, iron inserted into MtFt was less available for chelation than that in cytosolic ferritin and the expression of MtFt was associated with decreased mitochondrial and cytosolic aconitase activities, the latter being consistent with the increase in IRP-binding activity. In conclusion, our results indicate that overexpression of MtFt causes a dramatic change in intracellular iron homeostasis and that shunting iron to MtFt likely limits its availability for active iron proteins.


2007 ◽  
Vol 189 (20) ◽  
pp. 7442-7449 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin M. Hasselbring ◽  
Duncan C. Krause

ABSTRACT Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a major cause of bronchitis and atypical pneumonia in humans. This cell wall-less bacterium has a complex terminal organelle that functions in cytadherence and gliding motility. The gliding mechanism is unknown but is coordinated with terminal-organelle development during cell division. Disruption of M. pneumoniae open reading frame MPN311 results in loss of protein P41 and downstream gene product P24. P41 localizes to the base of the terminal organelle and is required to anchor the terminal organelle to the cell body, but during cell division, MPN311 insertion mutants also fail to properly regulate nascent terminal-organelle development spatially or gliding activity temporally. We measured gliding velocity and frequency and used fluorescent protein fusions and time-lapse imaging to assess the roles of P41 and P24 individually in terminal-organelle development and gliding function. P41 was necessary for normal gliding velocity and proper spatial positioning of new terminal organelles, while P24 was required for gliding frequency and new terminal-organelle formation at wild-type rates. However, P41 was essential for P24 function, and in the absence of P41, P24 exhibited a dynamic localization pattern. Finally, protein P28 requires P41 for stability, but analysis of a P28− mutant established that the MPN311 mutant phenotype was not a function of loss of P28.


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