Dash-and-Recruit Mechanism Drives Membrane Curvature Recognition by the Small Bacterial Protein SpoVM.

ABSTRACT: In Bacillus subtilis, sporulation requires that the 26-amino acid protein SpoVM embeds specifically into the forespore membrane, a structure with convex curvature. How this nanometer-sized protein can detect curves on a micrometer scale is not well understood. Here, we report that SpoVM exploits a "dash-and-recruit" mechanism to preferentially accumulate on the forespore. Using time-resolved imaging and flow cytometry, we observe that SpoVM exhibits a faster adsorption rate onto membranes of higher convex curvature. This preferential adsorption is accurately modeled as a two-step process: first, an initial binding event occurs with a faster on rate, then cooperative recruitment of additional SpoVM molecules follows. We demonstrate that both this biochemical process and effective sporulatio

SUBMITTER: Kim EY 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6311346 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature