Abstract
AbstractPathogenic spirochetes can alter their morphologies and behaviors to infect and survive within their hosts. Previous reports demonstrate that the formation of so-called ‘round bodies’ and biofilms, and chemotaxis are involved in spirochete pathogenesis. Here, in the spirocheteTreponema denticola, we report a direct link between these cellular states that involves a new class of protein sensor (CheWS) with hitherto unclear function. Using cryo-EM methods, protein modeling, bioinformatics, genetics methods, and behavioral assays we demonstrate that spirochetes regulate these behaviors in response to the small molecule s-adenosylmethionine (SAM) via a SAM sensor that is anchored to chemotaxis arrays. CheWS influences chemotaxis, biofilm and round body formation under nonstressed conditions by a novel sporulation-like mechanism. Taken together, we establish an improved model for round body formation, we discovered a direct link between this SAM sensor and changes in cellular states, as well as characterized a new sensor class involved in chemotaxis.
Publisher
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory