A Novel System of Cytoskeletal Elements in the Human Pathogen Helicobacter pylori

PLoS Pathogens

Manfred Kist¹  Sarah Schaetzle²  Katharina Haeberer²  Barbara Waidner²  Peter L. Graumann²  Mara Specht³  Volker Speth³  Felix Dempwolff³ 

[1] Cell Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany;Department of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, University Hospital Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany;Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany

关键词: Helicobacter pylori;    Ureases;    Cytoskeleton;    Cell fusion;    Cell cycle;    cell division;    Membrane staining;    Protein structure;    Pathogenesis;   

DOI  :  10.1371/journal.ppat.1000669

学科分类：生物科学（综合）

来源: Public Library of Science

【 摘 要 】

Pathogenicity of the human pathogen Helicobacter pylori relies upon its capacity to adapt to a hostile environment and to escape from the host response. Therefore, cell shape, motility, and pH homeostasis of these bacteria are specifically adapted to the gastric mucus. We have found that the helical shape of H. pylori depends on coiled coil rich proteins (Ccrp), which form extended filamentous structures in vitro and in vivo, and are differentially required for the maintenance of cell morphology. We have developed an in vivo localization system for this pathogen. Consistent with a cytoskeleton-like structure, Ccrp proteins localized in a regular punctuate and static pattern within H. pylori cells. Ccrp genes show a high degree of sequence variation, which could be the reason for the morphological diversity between H. pylori strains. In contrast to other bacteria, the actin-like MreB protein is dispensable for viability in H. pylori, and does not affect cell shape, but cell length and chromosome segregation. In addition, mreB mutant cells displayed significantly reduced urease activity, and thus compromise a major pathogenicity factor of H. pylori. Our findings reveal that Ccrp proteins, but not MreB, affect cell morphology, while both cytoskeletal components affect the development of pathogenicity factors and/or cell cycle progression.

【 授权许可】

CC BY