Proteus mirabilis mutants defective in swarmer cell differentiation and multicellular behavior

Author:

Belas R1,Erskine D1,Flaherty D1

Affiliation:

1. Center of Marine Biotechnology, University of Maryland, Baltimore 21202.

Abstract

Proteus mirabilis is a dimorphic bacterium which exists in liquid cultures as a 1.5- to 2.0-microns motile swimmer cell possessing 6 to 10 peritrichous flagella. When swimmer cells are placed on a surface, they differentiate by a combination of events that ultimately produce a swarmer cell. Unlike the swimmer cell, the polyploid swarmer cell is 60 to 80 microns long and possesses hundreds to thousands of surface-induced flagella. These features, combined with multicellular behavior, allow the swarmer cells to move over a surface in a process called swarming. Transposon Tn5 was used to produce P. mirabilis mutants defective in wild-type swarming motility. Two general classes of mutants were found to be defective in swarming. The first class was composed of null mutants that were completely devoid of swarming motility. The majority of nonswarming mutations were the result of defects in the synthesis of flagella or in the ability to rotate the flagella. The remaining nonswarming mutants produced flagella but were defective in surface-induced elongation. Strains in the second general class of mutants, which made up more than 65% of all defects in swarming were motile but were defective in the control and coordination of multicellular swarming. Analysis of consolidation zones produced by such crippled mutants suggested that this pleiotropic phenotype was caused by a defect in the regulation of multicellular behavior. A possible mechanism controlling the cyclic process of differentiation and dediferentiation involved in the swarming behavior of P. mirabilis is discussed.

Publisher

American Society for Microbiology

Subject

Molecular Biology,Microbiology

Reference37 articles.

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2. Allison C. and C. Hughes. 1991. Multiple genetic loci involved in multicellular swarming migration of Proteus mirabilis p. 204. 1-84. Abstr. 91st Gen. Meet. Am. Soc. Microbiol. 1991. American Society for Microbiology Washington D.C.

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4. Flagella development during swarmer differentiation in Proteus mirabilis;Armitage J. P.;FEMS Microbiol. Lett.,1978

5. Alterations in the cell envelope composition of Proteus mirabilis during the development of swarmer cells;Armitage J. P.;Biochim. Biophys. Acta,1979

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