Nitric oxide stimulates type IV MSHA pilus retraction in Vibrio cholerae via activation of the phosphodiesterase CdpA.

ABSTRACT: Bacteria use surface appendages called type IV pili to perform diverse activities including DNA uptake, twitching motility, and attachment to surfaces. The dynamic extension and retraction of pili are often required for these activities, but the stimuli that regulate these dynamics remain poorly characterized. To address this question, we study the bacterial pathogen Vibrio cholerae, which uses mannose-sensitive hemagglutinin (MSHA) pili to attach to surfaces in aquatic environments as the first step in biofilm formation. Here, we use a combination of genetic and cell biological approaches to describe a regulatory pathway that allows V. cholerae to rapidly abort biofilm formation. Specifically, we show that V. cholerae cells retract MSHA pili and detach from a surface

SUBMITTER: Hughes HQ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8851539 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature