Zhang Jingchao, Luo Yan, Zong Yiwu, Lu Shangping, Shi Yi, Jin Fan, Zhao Kun
Center for Medical Genetics, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital University of Electronic Science and Technology of China Chengdu China.
Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Frontiers Science Center for Synthetic Biology Tianjin University Tianjin China.
mLife. 2025 Feb 23;4(1):83-95. doi: 10.1002/mlf2.12165. eCollection 2025 Feb.
In , the dynamic activity of type IV pilus (TFP) is essential for various bacterial behaviors. While PilU is considered a homolog of the TFP disassembling motor PilT, its specific roles remain unclear. Using pilus visualization and single-cell tracking techniques, we characterized TFP dynamics and surface behaviors in wild-type and Δ mutants. We found that Δ cells displayed increased TFP numbers but reduced cell movement and delayed microcolony formation. Interestingly, beyond affecting the twitching motility, Δ cells formed a thick multilayered colony edge on semi-solid surfaces, slowing colony expansion. Cell-cell collision responses changed from touch-turn dominance in wild type to touch-upright dominance in Δ, affecting colony morphology and expansion. These findings expand our understanding of PilU's physiological roles and provide potential targets for developing strategies to control biofilm formation and virulence.
在[具体情境未明确]中，IV型菌毛（TFP）的动态活性对于多种细菌行为至关重要。虽然PilU被认为是TFP拆卸马达PilT的同源物，但其具体作用仍不清楚。利用菌毛可视化和单细胞追踪技术，我们对野生型和Δ突变体中的TFP动态和表面行为进行了表征。我们发现，Δ细胞显示出TFP数量增加，但细胞运动减少且微菌落形成延迟。有趣的是，除了影响颤动运动性外，Δ细胞在半固体表面形成了厚厚的多层菌落边缘，减缓了菌落扩展。细胞间碰撞反应从野生型中的接触转向主导转变为Δ中的接触直立主导，影响了菌落形态和扩展。这些发现扩展了我们对PilU生理作用的理解，并为开发控制生物膜形成和毒力的策略提供了潜在靶点。
