Molecular Diffusion Through Cyanobacterial Septal Junctions

Overview

Journal mBio

Publisher American Society for Microbiology

Specialty Microbiology

Date 2017 Jan 4

PMID 28049144

Citations 16

Authors

Mercedes Nieves-Morion

Conrad W Mullineaux

Enrique Flores

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Importance: Although bacteria are frequently considered just as unicellular organisms, there are bacteria that behave as true multicellular organisms. The heterocyst-forming cyanobacteria grow as filaments in which cells communicate. Intercellular molecular exchange is thought to be mediated by septal junctions. Here, we show that intercellular transfer of fluorescent markers in the cyanobacterial filament has the physical properties of simple diffusion. Thus, cyanobacterial septal junctions are functionally analogous to metazoan gap junctions, although their molecular components appear unrelated. Like metazoan gap junctions, the septal junctions of cyanobacteria allow the rapid intercellular exchange of small molecules, without stringent selectivity. Our finding expands the repertoire of mechanisms for molecular transfer across the plasma membrane in prokaryotes.

Citing Articles

The role of FraI in cell-cell communication and differentiation in the hormogonia-forming cyanobacterium .

Janovic A, Maldener I, Menzel C, Parrett G, Risser D mSphere. 2024; 9(8):e0051024.

PMID: 39037261 PMC: 11351039. DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00510-24.

Heterologous expression of genes from a cyanobacterial endosymbiont highlights substrate exchanges with its diatom host.

Nieves-Morion M, Camargo S, Bardi S, Ruiz M, Flores E, Foster R PNAS Nexus. 2023; 2(6):pgad194.

PMID: 37383020 PMC: 10299089. DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgad194.

Changes in Envelope Structure and Cell-Cell Communication during Akinete Differentiation and Germination in Filamentous Cyanobacterium ATCC 29413.

Garg R, Luckner M, Berger J, Hipp K, Wanner G, Forchhammer K Life (Basel). 2022; 12(3).

PMID: 35330180 PMC: 8953462. DOI: 10.3390/life12030429.

Single-Cell Measurements of Fixation and Intercellular Exchange of C and N in the Filaments of the Heterocyst-Forming Cyanobacterium sp. Strain PCC 7120.

Nieves-Morion M, Flores E, Whitehouse M, Thomen A, Foster R mBio. 2021; 12(4):e0131421.

PMID: 34399619 PMC: 8406292. DOI: 10.1128/mBio.01314-21.

Heterocyst Septa Contain Large Nanopores That Are Influenced by the Fra Proteins in the Filamentous Cyanobacterium sp. Strain PCC 7120.

Arevalo S, Flores E J Bacteriol. 2021; 203(13):e0008121.

PMID: 33846119 PMC: 8437352. DOI: 10.1128/JB.00081-21.

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