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Phase transition of GvpU regulates gas vesicle clustering in bacteria.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Li, Z; Shen, Q; Usher, ET; Anderson, AP; Iburg, M; Lin, R; Zimmer, B; Meyer, MD; Holehouse, AS; You, L; Chilkoti, A; Dai, Y; Lu, GJ
Published in: Nature microbiology
April 2024

Gas vesicles (GVs) are microbial protein organelles that support cellular buoyancy. GV engineering has multiple applications, including reporter gene imaging, acoustic control and payload delivery. GVs often cluster into a honeycomb pattern to minimize occupancy of the cytosol. The underlying molecular mechanism and the influence on cellular physiology remain unknown. Using genetic, biochemical and imaging approaches, here we identify GvpU from Priestia megaterium as a protein that regulates GV clustering in vitro and upon expression in Escherichia coli. GvpU binds to the C-terminal tail of the core GV shell protein and undergoes a phase transition to form clusters in subsaturated solution. These properties of GvpU tune GV clustering and directly modulate bacterial fitness. GV variants can be designed with controllable sensitivity to GvpU-mediated clustering, enabling design of genetically tunable biosensors. Our findings elucidate the molecular mechanisms and functional roles of GV clustering, enabling its programmability for biomedical applications.

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Published In

Nature microbiology

DOI

EISSN

2058-5276

ISSN

2058-5276

Publication Date

April 2024

Volume

9

Issue

4

Start / End Page

1021 / 1035

Related Subject Headings

  • Proteins
  • Organelles
  • Bacteria
  • 3107 Microbiology
  • 1108 Medical Microbiology
  • 0605 Microbiology
 

Citation

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Li, Z., Shen, Q., Usher, E. T., Anderson, A. P., Iburg, M., Lin, R., … Lu, G. J. (2024). Phase transition of GvpU regulates gas vesicle clustering in bacteria. Nature Microbiology, 9(4), 1021–1035. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41564-024-01648-3
Li, Zongru, Qionghua Shen, Emery T. Usher, Andrew P. Anderson, Manuel Iburg, Richard Lin, Brandon Zimmer, et al. “Phase transition of GvpU regulates gas vesicle clustering in bacteria.Nature Microbiology 9, no. 4 (April 2024): 1021–35. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41564-024-01648-3.
Li Z, Shen Q, Usher ET, Anderson AP, Iburg M, Lin R, et al. Phase transition of GvpU regulates gas vesicle clustering in bacteria. Nature microbiology. 2024 Apr;9(4):1021–35.
Li, Zongru, et al. “Phase transition of GvpU regulates gas vesicle clustering in bacteria.Nature Microbiology, vol. 9, no. 4, Apr. 2024, pp. 1021–35. Epmc, doi:10.1038/s41564-024-01648-3.
Li Z, Shen Q, Usher ET, Anderson AP, Iburg M, Lin R, Zimmer B, Meyer MD, Holehouse AS, You L, Chilkoti A, Dai Y, Lu GJ. Phase transition of GvpU regulates gas vesicle clustering in bacteria. Nature microbiology. 2024 Apr;9(4):1021–1035.

Published In

Nature microbiology

DOI

EISSN

2058-5276

ISSN

2058-5276

Publication Date

April 2024

Volume

9

Issue

4

Start / End Page

1021 / 1035

Related Subject Headings

  • Proteins
  • Organelles
  • Bacteria
  • 3107 Microbiology
  • 1108 Medical Microbiology
  • 0605 Microbiology