Phylogenetic Analysis Identifies Many Uncharacterized Actin-like Proteins (Alps) in Bacteria: Regulated Polymerization, Dynamic Instability and Treadmilling in Alp7A

Overview

Journal Mol Microbiol

Specialties Microbiology
Molecular Biology

Date 2009 Jul 16

PMID 19602153

Citations 72

Authors

Alan I Derman

Eric C Becker

Bao D Truong

Akina Fujioka

Timothy M Tucey

Marcella L Erb

Paula C Patterson

Joe Pogliano

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Actin, one of the most abundant proteins in the eukaryotic cell, also has an abundance of relatives in the eukaryotic proteome. To date though, only five families of actins have been characterized in bacteria. We have conducted a phylogenetic search and uncovered more than 35 highly divergent families of actin-like proteins (Alps) in bacteria. Their genes are found primarily on phage genomes, on plasmids and on integrating conjugative elements, and are likely to be involved in a variety of functions. We characterize three Alps and find that all form filaments in the cell. The filaments of Alp7A, a plasmid partitioning protein and one of the most divergent of the Alps, display dynamic instability and also treadmill. Alp7A requires other elements from the plasmid to assemble into dynamic polymers in the cell. Our findings suggest that most if not all of the Alps are indeed actin relatives, and that actin is very well represented in bacteria.

Citing Articles

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