Bacterial cell motility of Burkholderia gut symbiont is required to colonize the insect gut.

We generated a Burkholderia mutant, which is deficient of an N -acetylmuramyl- l -alanine amidase, AmiC, involved in peptidoglycan degradation. When non-motile Δ amiC mutant Burkholderia cells harboring chain form were orally administered to Riptortus insects, Δ amiC mutant cells were unable to establish symbiotic association. But, Δ amiC mutant complemented with amiC gene restored in vivo symbiotic association. Δ amiC mutant cultured in minimal medium restored their motility with single-celled morphology. When Δ amiC mutant cells harboring single-celled morphology were administered to the host insect, this mutant established normal symbiotic association, suggesting that bacterial motility is essential for the successful symbiosis between host insect and Burkholderia symbiont. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]