TY - JOUR
T1 - A genomic survey of signalling in the myxococcaceae
AU - Whitworth, David E.
AU - Zwarycz, Allison
PY - 2020/11/6
Y1 - 2020/11/6
N2 - As prokaryotes diverge by evolution, essential ‘core’ genes required for conserved phenotypes are preferentially retained, while inessential ‘accessory’ genes are lost or diversify. We used the recently expanded number of myxobacterial genome sequences to investigate the conservation of their signalling proteins, focusing on two sister genera (Myxococcus and Corallococcus), and on a species within each genus (Myxococcus xanthus and Corallococcus exiguus). Four new C. exiguus genome sequences are also described here. Despite accessory genes accounting for substantial proportions of each myxobacterial genome, signalling proteins were found to be enriched in the core genome, with two-component system genes almost exclusively so. We also investigated the conservation of signalling proteins in three myxobacterial behaviours. The linear carotenogenesis pathway was entirely conserved, with no gene gain/loss observed. However, the modular fruiting body formation network was found to be evolutionarily plastic, with dispensable components in all modules (including components required for fruiting in the model myxobacterium M. xanthus DK1622). Quorum signalling (QS) is thought to be absent from most myxobacteria, however, they generally appear to be able to produce CAI-I (cholerae autoinducer-1), to sense other QS molecules, and to disrupt the QS of other organisms, potentially important abilities during predation of other prokaryotes.
AB - As prokaryotes diverge by evolution, essential ‘core’ genes required for conserved phenotypes are preferentially retained, while inessential ‘accessory’ genes are lost or diversify. We used the recently expanded number of myxobacterial genome sequences to investigate the conservation of their signalling proteins, focusing on two sister genera (Myxococcus and Corallococcus), and on a species within each genus (Myxococcus xanthus and Corallococcus exiguus). Four new C. exiguus genome sequences are also described here. Despite accessory genes accounting for substantial proportions of each myxobacterial genome, signalling proteins were found to be enriched in the core genome, with two-component system genes almost exclusively so. We also investigated the conservation of signalling proteins in three myxobacterial behaviours. The linear carotenogenesis pathway was entirely conserved, with no gene gain/loss observed. However, the modular fruiting body formation network was found to be evolutionarily plastic, with dispensable components in all modules (including components required for fruiting in the model myxobacterium M. xanthus DK1622). Quorum signalling (QS) is thought to be absent from most myxobacteria, however, they generally appear to be able to produce CAI-I (cholerae autoinducer-1), to sense other QS molecules, and to disrupt the QS of other organisms, potentially important abilities during predation of other prokaryotes.
KW - Carotenoids
KW - Comparative genomics
KW - Development
KW - Fruiting body formation
KW - Myxobacteria
KW - Myxococcales
KW - One-component systems
KW - Quorum signalling
KW - Two-component systems
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85095783220&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/microorganisms8111739
DO - 10.3390/microorganisms8111739
M3 - Article
C2 - 33171896
AN - SCOPUS:85095783220
SN - 2076-2607
VL - 8
JO - Microorganisms
JF - Microorganisms
IS - 11
M1 - 1739
ER -