Subcompartmentalization by cross-membranes during early growth of Streptomyces hyphae

Nat Commun. 2016 Aug 12:7:12467. doi: 10.1038/ncomms12467.

Abstract

Bacteria of the genus Streptomyces are a model system for bacterial multicellularity. Their mycelial life style involves the formation of long multinucleated hyphae during vegetative growth, with occasional cross-walls separating long compartments. Reproduction occurs by specialized aerial hyphae, which differentiate into chains of uninucleoid spores. While the tubulin-like FtsZ protein is required for the formation of all peptidoglycan-based septa in Streptomyces, canonical divisome-dependent cell division only occurs during sporulation. Here we report extensive subcompartmentalization in young vegetative hyphae of Streptomyces coelicolor, whereby 1 μm compartments are formed by nucleic acid stain-impermeable barriers. These barriers possess the permeability properties of membranes and at least some of them are cross-membranes without detectable peptidoglycan. Z-ladders form during the early growth, but cross-membrane formation does not depend on FtsZ. Thus, a new level of hyphal organization is presented involving unprecedented high-frequency compartmentalization, which changes the old dogma that Streptomyces vegetative hyphae have scarce compartmentalization.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism*
  • Cell Compartmentation / physiology*
  • Cell Division / physiology
  • Cell Membrane / metabolism*
  • Cell Wall / metabolism
  • Cytoskeletal Proteins / metabolism*
  • Hyphae / physiology*
  • Microscopy, Fluorescence
  • Mutation
  • Peptidoglycan / metabolism
  • Permeability
  • Spores, Bacterial / physiology
  • Streptomyces / physiology*

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Cytoskeletal Proteins
  • FtsZ protein, Bacteria
  • Peptidoglycan