Affiliation:
1. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
Abstract
In aquatic environments, the boundary at the air interface is often highly enriched with nutrients and oxygen. Colonization of this niche likely confers a significant fitness advantage in many cases. This study provides evidence that the cell surface adhesin known as a holdfast enables
Caulobacter crescentus
to partition to and colonize the air-liquid interface. Additional surface structures, including the flagellum and type IV pili, are important determinants of colonization and biofilm formation at this boundary. Considering that holdfast-like adhesins are broadly conserved in
Caulobacter
spp. and other members of the diverse class
Alphaproteobacteria
, these surface structures may function broadly to facilitate colonization of air-liquid boundaries in a range of ecological contexts, including freshwater, marine, and soil ecosystems.
Funder
HHS | National Institutes of Health
Publisher
American Society for Microbiology
Subject
Molecular Biology,Microbiology
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