Essential Site Maintenance: Authorea-powered sites will be updated circa 15:00-17:00 Eastern on Tuesday 5 November.
There should be no interruption to normal services, but please contact us at [email protected] in case you face any issues.

loading page

TbsP and TrmB jointly regulate gapII to influence cell development phenotypes in the archaeon Haloferax volcanii
  • +7
  • Amy Schmid,
  • Rylee K. Hackley,
  • Sungmin Hwang,
  • Jake T. Herb,
  • Preeti Bhanap,
  • Angie Vreugdenhil,
  • Cynthia L. Darnell,
  • Mar Martinez-Pastor,
  • Johnathan H. Martin,
  • Julie Maupin-Furlow
Amy Schmid
Duke University Department of Biology

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

Author Profile
Rylee K. Hackley
Duke University Department of Biology
Author Profile
Sungmin Hwang
Duke University Department of Biology
Author Profile
Jake T. Herb
Duke University Department of Biology
Author Profile
Preeti Bhanap
Duke University Department of Biology
Author Profile
Angie Vreugdenhil
Duke University Department of Biology
Author Profile
Cynthia L. Darnell
Duke University Department of Biology
Author Profile
Mar Martinez-Pastor
Duke University Department of Biology
Author Profile
Johnathan H. Martin
University of Florida Department of Microbiology and Cell Science
Author Profile
Julie Maupin-Furlow
University of Florida Department of Microbiology and Cell Science
Author Profile

Abstract

Microbial cells must continually adapt their physiology in the face of changing environmental conditions. Archaea living in extreme conditions, such as saturated salinity, represent important examples of such resilience. The model salt-loving organism Haloferax volcanii exhibits remarkable plasticity in its morphology, biofilm formation, and motility in response to variations in nutrients and cell density. However, the mechanisms regulating these lifestyle transitions remain unclear. In prior research, we showed that the transcriptional regulator, TrmB, maintains the rod shape in the related species Halobacterium salinarum by activating the expression of enzyme-coding genes in the gluconeogenesis metabolic pathway. In Hbt. salinarum, TrmB-dependent production of glucose moieties is required for cell surface glycoprotein biogenesis. Here we use a combination of genetics, quantitative phenotyping, and gene expression assays to demonstrate that TrmB is essential for growth under gluconeogenic conditions in Hfx. volcanii. The ∆ trmB strain rapidly accumulated suppressor mutations in a gene encoding a novel transcriptional regulator, which we name Trm B su ppressor, or TbsP. TbsP is required for adhesion to abiotic surfaces (i.e. biofilm formation), and maintains wild type cell morphology, and motility. TrmB and TbsP jointly regulate the glucose-dependent transcription of gapII, which encodes an important gluconeogenic enzyme. We conclude that TrmB and TbsP co-regulate gluconeogenesis, with downstream impacts on lifestyle transitions in response to nutrients in Hfx. volcanii.
07 Jun 2023Submitted to Molecular Microbiology
11 Jun 2023Submission Checks Completed
11 Jun 2023Assigned to Editor
12 Jun 2023Reviewer(s) Assigned
16 Jul 2023Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
16 Jul 2023Editorial Decision: Revise Minor