Nitric oxide stimulates type IV MSHA pilus retraction in via activation of the phosphodiesterase CdpA.

Bacteria use surface appendages called type IV pili to perform diverse activities including DNA uptake, twitching motility, and attachment to surfaces. The dynamic extension and retraction of pili are often required for these activities, but the stimuli that regulate these dynamics remain poorly characterized. To address this question, we study the bacterial pathogen , which uses mannose-sensitive hemagglutinin (MSHA) pili to attach to surfaces in aquatic environments as the first step in biofilm formation.

The Division Defect of a Double Mutant Can Be Suppressed by Spx-Dependent and Spx-Independent Mechanisms.

During growth, bacteria increase in size and divide. Division is initiated by the formation of the Z-ring, a ring-like cytoskeletal structure formed by treadmilling protofilaments of the tubulin homolog FtsZ. FtsZ localization is thought to be controlled by the Min and Noc systems, and here we explore why cell division fails at high temperature when the Min and Noc systems are simultaneously mutated.

Effects of Nogo-A and its receptor on the repair of sciatic nerve injury in rats.

Regeneration of injured peripheral nerves is an extremely complex process. Nogo-A (neurite outgrowth inhibitor-A) inhibits axonal regeneration by interacting with Nogo receptor in the myelin sheath of the central nervous system (CNS). The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of Nogo-A and its receptor on the repair of sciatic nerve injury in rats.

Noc Corrals Migration of FtsZ Protofilaments during Cytokinesis in Bacillus subtilis.

Bacteria that divide by binary fission form FtsZ rings at the geometric midpoint of the cell between the bulk of the replicated nucleoids. In , the DNA- and membrane-binding Noc protein is thought to participate in nucleoid occlusion by preventing FtsZ rings from forming over the chromosome. To explore the role of Noc, we used time-lapse fluorescence microscopy to monitor FtsZ and the nucleoid of cells growing in microfluidic channels.

The Min System Disassembles FtsZ Foci and Inhibits Polar Peptidoglycan Remodeling in Bacillus subtilis.

A microfluidic system coupled with fluorescence microscopy is a powerful approach for quantitative analysis of bacterial growth. Here, we measure parameters of growth and dynamic localization of the cell division initiation protein FtsZ in Consistent with previous reports, we found that after division, FtsZ rings remain at the cell poles, and polar FtsZ ring disassembly coincides with rapid Z-ring accumulation at the midcell. In cells mutated for , however, the polar FtsZ rings persist indefinitely, suggesting that the primary function of the Min system is in Z-ring disassembly.

Screening of NogoA/NTR-related differential genes in rat sciatic nerve injury signal pathway.

Aim: To screen the differential genes in NogoA/NTR-related pathways that associate with sciatic nerve injury.

Results: There was no difference in the expression of NogoA, NTR and Ntrk2. Differential genes existed in 11 differential pathways that include NogoA, NTR and Ntrk2.