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A contractile injection system stimulates tubeworm metamorphosis by translocating a proteinaceous effector

Authors :
Charles F Ericson
Fabian Eisenstein
João M Medeiros
Kyle E Malter
Giselle S Cavalcanti
Robert W Zeller
Dianne K Newman
Martin Pilhofer
Nicholas J Shikuma
Source :
eLife, Vol 8 (2019)
Publication Year :
2019
Publisher :
eLife Sciences Publications Ltd, 2019.

Abstract

The swimming larvae of many marine animals identify a location on the sea floor to undergo metamorphosis based on the presence of specific bacteria. Although this microbe–animal interaction is critical for the life cycles of diverse marine animals, what types of biochemical cues from bacteria that induce metamorphosis has been a mystery. Metamorphosis of larvae of the tubeworm Hydroides elegans is induced by arrays of phage tail-like contractile injection systems, which are released by the bacterium Pseudoalteromonas luteoviolacea. Here we identify the novel effector protein Mif1. By cryo-electron tomography imaging and functional assays, we observe Mif1 as cargo inside the tube lumen of the contractile injection system and show that the mif1 gene is required for inducing metamorphosis. Purified Mif1 is sufficient for triggering metamorphosis when electroporated into tubeworm larvae. Our results indicate that the delivery of protein effectors by contractile injection systems may orchestrate microbe–animal interactions in diverse contexts.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
2050084X
Volume :
8
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
eLife
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.307ba39d2b244b5593e7acfbd2d3b45c
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.46845