The SLH‐domain protein BslO is a determinant of Bacillus anthracis chain length

Summary The Gram‐positive pathogen Bacillus anthracis grows in characteristic chains of individual, rod‐shaped cells. Here, we report the cell‐separating activity of BslO, a putative N‐acetylglucosaminidase bearing three N‐terminal S‐layer homology (SLH) domains for association with the secondary ce...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Molecular microbiology 2011-07, Vol.81 (1), p.192-205
Main Authors: Anderson, Valerie J., Kern, Justin W., McCool, Justin W., Schneewind, Olaf, Missiakas, Dominique
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acetylglucosaminidase - genetics
Acetylglucosaminidase - metabolism
Bacilli
Bacillus anthracis
Bacillus anthracis - cytology
Bacillus anthracis - enzymology
Bacillus anthracis - growth & development
Bacterial Proteins - genetics
Bacterial Proteins - metabolism
Bacteriology
Biological and medical sciences
Cell walls
Computer applications
Computer simulation
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Gene Deletion
Homology
Lysis
Microbiology
Miscellaneous
Mutagenesis, Insertional
Mutants
Phenotypes
Polysaccharides
Proteins
Septum
Vegetative cells
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Summary:Summary The Gram‐positive pathogen Bacillus anthracis grows in characteristic chains of individual, rod‐shaped cells. Here, we report the cell‐separating activity of BslO, a putative N‐acetylglucosaminidase bearing three N‐terminal S‐layer homology (SLH) domains for association with the secondary cell wall polysaccharide (SCWP). Mutants with an insertional lesion in the bslO gene exhibit exaggerated chain lengths, although individual cell dimensions are unchanged. Purified BslO complements this phenotype in trans, effectively dispersing chains of bslO‐deficient bacilli without lysis and localizing to the septa of vegetative cells. Compared with the extremely long chain lengths of csaB bacilli, which are incapable of binding proteins with SLH‐domains to SCWP, bslO mutants demonstrate a chaining phenotype that is intermediate between wild‐type and csaB. Computational simulation suggests that BslO effects a non‐random distribution of B. anthracis chain lengths, implying that all septa are not equal candidates for separation.
ISSN:0950-382X
1365-2958
1365-2958
DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2958.2011.07688.x