472: Caulobacter Condensates Compartmentalize Kinase

This episode: Bacteria can use blobs of disordered proteins to
quickly adapt to new conditions!


 


Thanks to Dr. Saumya Saurabh for his contribution!


Download Episode (10.9 MB, 15.9 minutes)

Show notes:
Microbe of the episode: Drosophila melanogaster Micropia virus


 



 



Takeaways



Bacteria can adapt to environmental fluctuations via
mechanisms operating at the various levels of the central
dogma, or metabolism (stringent response). Recently,
researchers at Stanford University discovered a mechanism
that allows bacteria to sense and rapidly adapt to nutrient
fluctuations by simply tuning protein self-assembly as a
function of nutrient availability. Termed membraneless
organelles or condensates, these proteinaceous assemblies
can dynamically sequester key signaling enzymes within them
in response to environmental cues. Biophysical adaptation
mediated by organelles is fast, reversible, and facile;
thereby representing a crucial step in the mechanistic
understanding of microbial adaptation.


 
Journal Paper:
Saurabh S, Chong TN, Bayas C, Dahlberg PD, Cartwright HN,
Moerner WE, Shapiro L. 2022. ATP-responsive biomolecular
condensates tune bacterial kinase signaling. Sci Adv
8:eabm6570.




Other interesting stories:



Bacteria produce biofuel from carbon dioxide, light, and
solar power-generated electricity

Vine that can mimic leaves of different trees may get info
from bacteria (paper)




 


Email questions or comments to bacteriofiles at gmail dot
com. Thanks for listening!


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