Bacterial cell motility ofBurkholderia gut symbiont is required to colonize the insect gut

• Published in: FEBS letters Vol. 589; no. 19PartB; pp. 2784 - 2790
• Main Authors: Lee, Jun Beom, Byeon, Jin Hee, Jang, Ho Am, Kim, Jiyeun Kate, Yoo, Jin Wook, Kikuchi, Yoshitomo, Lee, Bok Luel
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 14.09.2015
• Subjects: AmiC; Burkholderia; N-acetylmuramyl-l-alanine amidase; Riptortus pedestris; Symbiosis
• ISSN: 0014-5793; 1873-3468
• DOI: 10.1016/j.febslet.2015.08.022

We generated aBurkholderia mutant, which is deficient of anN‐acetylmuramyl‐l‐alanine amidase, AmiC, involved in peptidoglycan degradation. When non‐motile ΔamiC mutantBurkholderia cells harboring chain form were orally administered toRiptortus insects, ΔamiC mutant cells were unable to establish symbiotic association. But, ΔamiC mutant complemented withamiC gene restored in vivo symbiotic association. ΔamiC mutant cultured in minimal medium restored their motility with single‐celled morphology. When ΔamiC mutant cells harboring single‐celled morphology were administered to the host insect, this mutant established normal symbiotic association, suggesting that bacterial motility is essential for the successful symbiosis between host insect andBurkholderia symbiont. Burkholderia ΔamiC mutant showed defect in cell separation and decreased motility. Non‐motile ΔamiC mutant cells were unable to symbiotically associate with host insect. ΔamiC cells cultured in minimal media restored their motility. Motile ΔamiC cells successfully established association with host. Cell motility ofBurkholderia symbiont is important for symbiosis with host insect.