Bacterial heterozygosity promotes survival under multidrug selection.

Although bacterial cells typically contain a single chromosome, some species are naturally polyploid and carry multiple copies of their chromosome. Polyploid chromosomes can be identical or heterogeneous, the latter giving rise to bacterial heterozygosity. Although the benefits of heterozygosity are well studied in eukaryotes, its consequences in bacteria are less understood.

CslA and GlxA from form a functional cellulose synthase complex.

Unlabelled: Filamentous growth of streptomycetes coincides with the synthesis and deposition of an uncharacterized protective glucan at hyphal tips. Synthesis of this glucan depends on the integral membrane protein CslA and the radical copper oxidase GlxA, which are part of a presumably large multiprotein complex operating at growing tips. Here, we show that CslA and GlxA interact by forming a protein complex that is sufficient to synthesize cellulose .

bacLIFE: a user-friendly computational workflow for genome analysis and prediction of lifestyle-associated genes in bacteria.

Bacteria have an extensive adaptive ability to live in close association with eukaryotic hosts, exhibiting detrimental, neutral or beneficial effects on host growth and health. However, the genes involved in niche adaptation are mostly unknown and their functions poorly characterized. Here, we present bacLIFE ( https://github.

Phage fibers and spikes: a nanoscale Swiss army knife for host infection.

Bacteriophages are being rediscovered as potent agents for medical and industrial applications. However, finding a suitable phage relies on numerous factors, including host specificity, burst size, and infection cycle. The host range of a phage is, besides phage defense systems, initially determined by the recognition and attachment of receptor-binding proteins (RBPs) to the target receptors of susceptible bacteria.

Genome sequence and characterization of Streptomyces phages Vanseggelen and Verabelle, representing two new species within the genus Camvirus.

Despite the rising interest in bacteriophages, little is known about their infection cycle and lifestyle in a multicellular host. Even in the model system Streptomyces, only a small number of phages have been sequenced and well characterized so far. Here, we report the complete characterization and genome sequences of Streptomyces phages Vanseggelen and Verabelle isolated using Streptomyces coelicolor as a host.

Characterization of Bacteriophage cd2, a Siphophage Infecting Carnobacterium divergens and a Representative Species of a New Genus of Phage.

Carnobacterium divergens is frequently isolated from natural environments and is a predominant species found in refrigerated foods, particularly meat, seafood, and dairy. While there is substantial interest in using as biopreservatives and/or probiotics, some strains are known to be fish pathogens, and the uncontrolled growth of has been associated with food spoilage. Bacteriophages offer a selective approach to identify and control the growth of bacteria; however, to date, few phages targeting have been reported.

The SepF-like proteins SflA and SflB prevent ectopic localization of FtsZ and DivIVA during sporulation of Streptomyces coelicolor.

Bacterial cytokinesis starts with the polymerization of the tubulin-like FtsZ, which forms the cell division scaffold. SepF aligns FtsZ polymers and also acts as a membrane anchor for the Z-ring. While in most bacteria cell division takes place at midcell, during sporulation of Streptomyces many septa are laid down almost simultaneously in multinucleoid aerial hyphae.

A Flexible and Efficient Microfluidics Platform for the Characterization and Isolation of Novel Bacteriophages.

Bacteriophages are viruses that infect bacteria. This property makes them highly suitable for varied uses in industry or in the development of the treatment of bacterial infections. However, the conventional methods that are used to isolate and analyze these bacteriophages from the environment are generally cumbersome and time consuming.

Reproducible switching between a walled and cell wall-deficient lifestyle of actinomycetes using gradient agar plates.

The cell wall is a shape-defining structure that envelopes almost all bacteria, protecting them from biotic and abiotic stresses. Paradoxically, some filamentous actinomycetes have a natural ability to shed their cell wall under influence of hyperosmotic stress. These wall-deficient cells can revert to their walled state when transferred to a medium without osmoprotection but often lyse due to their fragile nature.

Genome sequence and characterization of Streptomyces phage Pablito, representing a new species within the genus Janusvirus.

Streptomycetes are ubiquitous soil bacteria. Here we report the complete and annotated genome sequence and characterization of Streptomyces phage Pablito, isolated from a soil sample in Haarlem, the Netherlands using Streptomyces lividans as host. This phage was able to infect a diverse range of Streptomyces strains, but none belonging to the sister genus Kitasatospora.

Endocytosis-like DNA uptake by cell wall-deficient bacteria.

Horizontal gene transfer in bacteria is widely believed to occur via conjugation, transduction and transformation. These mechanisms facilitate the passage of DNA across the protective cell wall using sophisticated machinery. Here, we report that cell wall-deficient bacteria can engulf DNA and other extracellular material via an endocytosis-like process.

Generating Heterokaryotic Cells via Bacterial Cell-Cell Fusion.

Fusion of cells is an important and common biological process that leads to the mixing of cellular contents and the formation of multinuclear cells. Cell fusion occurs when distinct membranes are brought into proximity of one another and merge to become one. Fusion holds promise for biotechnological innovations, for instance, for the discovery of urgently needed new antibiotics.

Reversible bacteriophage resistance by shedding the bacterial cell wall.

Phages are highly abundant in the environment and pose a major threat for bacteria. Therefore, bacteria have evolved sophisticated defence systems to withstand phage attacks. Here, we describe a previously unknown mechanism by which mono- and diderm bacteria survive infection with diverse lytic phages.

Mutational meltdown of putative microbial altruists in Streptomyces coelicolor colonies.

In colonies of the filamentous multicellular bacterium Streptomyces coelicolor, a subpopulation of cells arises that hyperproduces metabolically costly antibiotics, resulting in a division of labor that increases colony fitness. Because these cells contain large genomic deletions that cause massive reductions to individual fitness, their behavior is similar to altruistic worker castes in social insects or somatic cells in multicellular organisms. To understand these mutant cells' reproductive and genomic fate after their emergence, we use experimental evolution by serially transferring populations via spore-to-spore transfer for 25 cycles, reflective of the natural mode of bottlenecked transmission for these spore-forming bacteria.

Role for a Lytic Polysaccharide Monooxygenase in Cell Wall Remodeling in Streptomyces coelicolor.

Peptidoglycan is a major constituent of the bacterial cell wall and an important determinant for providing protection to cells. In addition to peptidoglycan, many bacteria synthesize other glycans that become part of the cell wall. Streptomycetes grow apically, where they synthesize a glycan that is exposed at the outer surface, but how it gets there is unknown.

Cell wall deficiency as an escape mechanism from phage infection.

The cell wall plays a central role in protecting bacteria from some environmental stresses, but not against all. In fact, in some cases, an elaborate cell envelope may even render the cell more vulnerable. For example, it contains molecules or complexes that bacteriophages recognize as the first step of host invasion, such as proteins and sugars, or cell appendages such as pili or flagella.

Microbial hitchhiking: how Streptomyces spores are transported by motile soil bacteria.

Streptomycetes are sessile bacteria that produce metabolites that impact the behavior of microbial communities. Emerging studies have demonstrated that Streptomyces spores are distributed through various mechanisms, but it remains unclear how spores are transported to their preferred microenvironments, such as plant roots. Here, we show that Streptomyces spores are capable of utilizing the motility machinery of other soil bacteria.

Formation of wall-less cells in Kitasatospora viridifaciens requires cytoskeletal protein FilP in oxygen-limiting conditions.

The cell wall is considered an essential component for bacterial survival, providing structural support, and protection from environmental insults. Under normal growth conditions, filamentous actinobacteria insert new cell wall material at the hyphal tips regulated by the coordinated activity of cytoskeletal proteins and cell wall biosynthetic enzymes. Despite the importance of the cell wall, some filamentous actinobacteria can produce wall-deficient S-cells upon prolonged exposure to hyperosmotic stress.

Teichoic acids anchor distinct cell wall lamellae in an apically growing bacterium.

The bacterial cell wall is a multicomponent structure that provides structural support and protection. In monoderm species, the cell wall is made up predominantly of peptidoglycan, teichoic acids and capsular glycans. Filamentous monoderm Actinobacteria incorporate new cell-wall material at their tips.

Genome rearrangements and megaplasmid loss in the filamentous bacterium Kitasatospora viridifaciens are associated with protoplast formation and regeneration.

Filamentous Actinobacteria are multicellular bacteria with linear replicons. Kitasatospora viridifaciens DSM 40239 contains a linear 7.8 Mb chromosome and an autonomously replicating plasmid KVP1 of 1.

Antibiotic production in is organized by a division of labor through terminal genomic differentiation.

One of the hallmark behaviors of social groups is division of labor, where different group members become specialized to carry out complementary tasks. By dividing labor, cooperative groups increase efficiency, thereby raising group fitness even if these behaviors reduce individual fitness. We find that antibiotic production in colonies of is coordinated by a division of labor.

Cell Wall Deficiency as a Coping Strategy for Stress.

The cell wall is a surface layer located outside the cell membrane of almost all bacteria; it protects cells from environmental stresses and gives them their typical shape. The cell wall is highly conserved in bacteria and is the target for some of our best antibiotics. Surprisingly, some bacteria are able to shed their wall under the influence of stress, yielding cells that are cell-wall-deficient.

Stress-induced adaptive morphogenesis in bacteria.

Bacteria thrive in virtually all environments. Like all other living organisms, bacteria may encounter various types of stresses, to which cells need to adapt. In this chapter, we describe how cells cope with stressful conditions and how this may lead to dramatic morphological changes.