c-di-GMP modulates type IV MSHA pilus retraction and surface attachment in Vibrio cholerae

Authors

Kyle A. Floyd, University of California, Santa Cruz
Calvin K. Lee, University of California, Los Angeles
Wujing Xian, University of California, Los Angeles
Mahmoud Nametalla, CUNY Brooklyn College
Aneesa Valentine, CUNY Brooklyn College
Benjamin Crair, Yale University
Shiwei Zhu, Yale University
Hannah Q. Hughes, Indiana University - Bloomington
Jennifer L. Chlebek, Indiana University - Bloomington
Daniel C. Wu, University of California, Santa Cruz
Jin Hwan Park, University of California, Santa Cruz
Ali M. Farhat, University of California, Los Angeles
Charles J. Lomba, University of California, Los Angeles
Courtney K. Ellison, Indiana University - Bloomington
Yves V. Brun, University of Montreal
Javier Campos-Gomez, University of Alabama at Birmingham
Ankur B. Dalia, Indiana University - Bloomington
Jun Liu, Yale University
Nicolas Biais, CUNY Brooklyn CollegeFollow
Gerard C. L. Wong, University of California, Los Angeles
Fitnat H. Yildiz, University of California, Santa Cruz

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

3-25-2020

Abstract

Biofilm formation by Vibrio cholerae facilitates environmental persistence, and hyperinfectivity within the host. Biofilm formation is regulated by 3’,5’-cyclic diguanylate (c-di-GMP) and requires production of the type IV mannose-sensitive hemagglutinin (MSHA) pilus. Here, we show that the MSHA pilus is a dynamic extendable and retractable system, and its activity is directly controlled by c-di-GMP. The interaction between c-di-GMP and the ATPase MshE promotes pilus extension, whereas low levels of c-di-GMP correlate with enhanced retrac- tion. Loss of retraction facilitated by the ATPase PilT increases near-surface roaming motility, and impairs initial surface attachment. However, prolonged retraction upon surface attach- ment results in reduced MSHA-mediated surface anchoring and increased levels of detachment. Our results indicate that c-di-GMP directly controls MshE activity, thus reg- ulating MSHA pilus extension and retraction dynamics, and modulating V. cholerae surface attachment and colonization.

Comments

This work was originally published in Nature Communications, available at https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-15331-8

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