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Science 1 July 2005:
Vol. 309. no. 5731, pp. 125 - 127
DOI: 10.1126/science.1112440
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Reports

Cell-to-Cell Transfer of Bacterial Outer Membrane Lipoproteins

Eric Nudleman,* Daniel Wall,{dagger} Dale Kaiser{ddagger}

Myxococcus xanthus cells can glide forward by retracting type IV pili. Tgl, an outer membrane lipoprotein, is necessary to assemble pili. Tgl mutants can be transiently "stimulated" if brought into end-to-end contact with tgl+ donor cells. By separating the stimulated recipient cells from donor cells, we found that Tgl protein was transferred from the donors to the rescued recipient cells. Mutants lacking CglB lipoprotein, which is part of a second gliding engine, could also be stimulated, and CglB protein was transferred from donor to recipient cells. The high transfer efficiency of Tgl and CglB proteins suggests that donor and recipient cells briefly fuse their outer membranes.

Departments of Developmental Biology and Biochemistry, Stanford University School of Medicine, B300 Beckman Center, 279 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.

* Present address: Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY 10461, USA.

{dagger} Present address: Anadys Pharmaceuticals, 3115 Merryfield Row, San Diego, CA 92121, USA.

{ddagger} To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: kaiser{at}cmgm.stanford.edu

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THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Three-Dimensional Macromolecular Organization of Cryofixed Myxococcus xanthus Biofilms as Revealed by Electron Microscopic Tomography.
H. Palsdottir, J. P. Remis, C. Schaudinn, E. O'Toole, R. Lux, W. Shi, K. L. McDonald, J. W. Costerton, and M. Auer (2009)
J. Bacteriol. 191, 2077-2082
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
From the Cover: Predataxis behavior in Myxococcus xanthus.
J. E. Berleman, J. Scott, T. Chumley, and J. R. Kirby (2008)
PNAS 105, 17127-17132
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
PilF Is an Outer Membrane Lipoprotein Required for Multimerization and Localization of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa Type IV Pilus Secretin.
J. Koo, S. Tammam, S.-Y. Ku, L. M. Sampaleanu, L. L. Burrows, and P. L. Howell (2008)
J. Bacteriol. 190, 6961-6969
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Determinants of Entry Exclusion within Eex and TraG Are Cytoplasmic.
J. Marrero and M. K. Waldor (2007)
J. Bacteriol. 189, 6469-6473
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Transposon Insertions of magellan-4 That Impair Social Gliding Motility in Myxococcus xanthus.
P. Youderian and P. L. Hartzell (2006)
Genetics 172, 1397-1410
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Accordion waves in Myxococcus xanthus.
O. Sliusarenko, J. Neu, D. R. Zusman, and G. Oster (2006)
PNAS 103, 1534-1539
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Generous bacteria.
N. LeBrasseur (2005)
J. Cell Biol. 170, 336
   Full Text »    PDF »


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