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- Title
Ultrastructure of macromolecular assemblies contributing to bacterial spore resistance revealed by in situ cryo-electron tomography.
- Authors
Bauda, Elda; Gallet, Benoit; Moravcova, Jana; Effantin, Gregory; Chan, Helena; Novacek, Jiri; Jouneau, Pierre-Henri; Rodrigues, Christopher D. A.; Schoehn, Guy; Moriscot, Christine; Morlot, Cecile
- Abstract
Bacterial spores owe their incredible resistance capacities to molecular structures that protect the cell content from external aggressions. Among the determinants of resistance are the quaternary structure of the chromosome and an extracellular shell made of proteinaceous layers (the coat), the assembly of which remains poorly understood. Here, in situ cryo-electron tomography on lamellae generated by cryo-focused ion beam micromachining provides insights into the ultrastructural organization of Bacillus subtilis sporangia. The reconstructed tomograms reveal that early during sporulation, the chromosome in the forespore adopts a toroidal structure harboring 5.5-nm thick fibers. At the same stage, coat proteins at the surface of the forespore form a stack of amorphous or structured layers with distinct electron density, dimensions and organization. By analyzing mutant strains using cryo-electron tomography and transmission electron microscopy on resin sections, we distinguish seven nascent coat regions with different molecular properties, and propose a model for the contribution of coat morphogenetic proteins. Bacterial endospores are among the most resilient forms of life. Here, authors reveal ultrastructural details of the spore chromosome and the multiprotein, multilayered extracellular coat, shedding light on mechanisms contributing to spore resistance.
- Subjects
BACTERIAL spores; COAT proteins (Viruses); DRUG resistance in bacteria; CHROMOSOME structure; TOMOGRAPHY; QUATERNARY structure; ION beams; FOCUSED ion beams
- Publication
Nature Communications, 2024, Vol 15, Issue 1, p1
- ISSN
2041-1723
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1038/s41467-024-45770-6