BR-bodies facilitate adaptive responses and survival during copper stress in Caulobacter crescentus.

ABSTRACT: Microbes must rapidly adapt to environmental stresses, including toxic heavy metals like copper, by sensing and mitigating their harmful effects. Here, we demonstrate that the phase separation properties of bacterial ribonucleoprotein bodies (BR-bodies) enhance Caulobacter crescentus fitness under copper stress. To uncover the underlying mechanism, we identified two key interactions between copper and the central scaffold of BR-bodies, ribonuclease E. First, biochemical assays and fluorescence microscopy experiments show that reduction of Cu²⁺ leads to cysteine oxidation, driving the transition of BR-bodies into more solid-like condensates. Second, tryptophan fluorescence and electron paramagnetic resonance assays reveal that ribonuclease E binds Cu²⁺ at histidine sit

SUBMITTER: Passos C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12510024 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature