Absolute Measurements of mRNA Translation in Caulobacter crescentus Reveal Important Fitness Costs of Vitamin B 12 Scavenging

Abstract

Caulobacter crescentus is a model system of the bacterial cell cycle culminating in asymmetric cell division, with each daughter cell inheriting a distinct set of proteins. While a genetic network of master transcription factors coordinates the cell cycle timing of transcription for nearly 20% of Caulobacter genes, we lack knowledge of how many of each protein “part” encoded in the genome are synthesized. Therefore, to determine the absolute production rates across the genome, we performed ribosome profiling, providing, for the first time, a quantitative resource with measurements of each protein “part” needed to generate daughter cells. This resource furthers the goal of a systems-level understanding of the genetic network controlling asymmetric cell division. To highlight the utility of this data set, we probe the protein synthesis cost of a B 12 utilization pathway and provide new insights into Caulobacter ’s adaptation to its natural environments.