A proteolytic pathway coordinates cell division and heterocyst differentiation in the cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. PCC 7120.

ABSTRACT: The filamentous, multicellular cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. PCC 7120 (Anabaena) is a prokaryotic model for the study of cell differentiation and cell-cell interactions. Upon combined-nitrogen deprivation, Anabaena forms a particular cell type, heterocyst, for aerobic nitrogen fixation. Heterocysts are semiregularly spaced among vegetative cells. Heterocyst differentiation is coupled to cell division, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. This mechanism could be mediated by the putative protease HetF, which is a divisome component and is necessary for heterocyst differentiation. In this study, by suppressor screening, we identified PatU3, as a negative regulator acting downstream of HetF for cell division and heterocyst development. The inactivation of patU3</

SUBMITTER: Xing WY 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9457339 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature