Biased inheritance of the protein PatN frees vegetative cells to initiate patterned heterocyst differentiation.

ABSTRACT: Heterocysts, cells specialized for nitrogen fixation in certain filamentous cyanobacteria, appear singly in a nonrandom spacing pattern along the chain of vegetative cells. A two-stage, biased initiation and competitive resolution model has been proposed to explain the establishment of this spacing pattern. There is substantial evidence that competitive resolution of a subset of cells initiating differentiation occurs by interactions between a self-enhancing activator protein, HetR, and a diffusible pentapeptide inhibitor PatS-5 (RGSGR). Results presented here show that the absence of a unique membrane protein, PatN, in Nostoc punctiforme strain ATCC 29133 leads to a threefold increase in heterocyst frequency and a fourfold decrease in the vegetative cell interval between heterocysts. A Pa

SUBMITTER: Risser DD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3458313 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature