Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Journal of Bacteriology logoLink to Journal of Bacteriology
. 1990 May;172(5):2328–2335. doi: 10.1128/jb.172.5.2328-2335.1990

Characterization of Halobacterium halobium mutants defective in taxis.

S A Sundberg 1, M Alam 1, M Lebert 1, J L Spudich 1, D Oesterhelt 1, G L Hazelbauer 1
PMCID: PMC208866  PMID: 2332402

Abstract

Mutant derivatives of Halobacterium halobium previously isolated by using a procedure that selected for defective phototactic response to white light were examined for an array of phenotypic characteristics related to phototaxis and chemotaxis. The properties tested were unstimulated swimming behavior, behaviorial responses to temporal gradients of light and spatial gradients of chemoattractants, content of photoreceptor pigments, methylation of methyl-accepting taxis proteins, and transient increases in rate of release of volatile methyl groups induced by tactic stimulation. Several distinct phenotypes were identified, corresponding to a mutant missing photoreceptors, a mutant defective in the methyltransferase, a mutant altered in control of the methylesterase, and mutants apparently defective in intracellular signaling. All except the photoreceptor mutant were defective in both chemotaxis and phototaxis.

Full text

PDF
2328

Images in this article

2331Image
on p.2331

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Alam M., Lebert M., Oesterhelt D., Hazelbauer G. L. Methyl-accepting taxis proteins in Halobacterium halobium. EMBO J. 1989 Feb;8(2):631–639. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1989.tb03418.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bogomolni R. A., Spudich J. L. Identification of a third rhodopsin-like pigment in phototactic Halobacterium halobium. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1982 Oct;79(20):6250–6254. doi: 10.1073/pnas.79.20.6250. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bogomolni R. A., Spudich J. L. The photochemical reactions of bacterial sensory rhodopsin-I. Flash photolysis study in the one microsecond to eight second time window. Biophys J. 1987 Dec;52(6):1071–1075. doi: 10.1016/S0006-3495(87)83301-5. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Ehrlich B. E., Schen C. R., Spudich J. L. Bacterial rhodopsins monitored with fluorescent dyes in vesicles and in vivo. J Membr Biol. 1984;82(1):89–94. doi: 10.1007/BF01870735. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Hess J. F., Oosawa K., Kaplan N., Simon M. I. Phosphorylation of three proteins in the signaling pathway of bacterial chemotaxis. Cell. 1988 Apr 8;53(1):79–87. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(88)90489-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Hess J. F., Oosawa K., Matsumura P., Simon M. I. Protein phosphorylation is involved in bacterial chemotaxis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1987 Nov;84(21):7609–7613. doi: 10.1073/pnas.84.21.7609. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Hildebrand E., Dencher N. Two photosystems controlling behavioural responses of Halobacterium halobium. Nature. 1975 Sep 4;257(5521):46–48. doi: 10.1038/257046a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Hildebrand E., Schimz A. Integration of photosensory signals in Halobacterium halobium. J Bacteriol. 1986 Jul;167(1):305–311. doi: 10.1128/jb.167.1.305-311.1986. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Kehry M. R., Dahlquist F. W. Adaptation in bacterial chemotaxis: CheB-dependent modification permits additional methylations of sensory transducer proteins. Cell. 1982 Jul;29(3):761–772. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(82)90438-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Kehry M. R., Doak T. G., Dahlquist F. W. Stimulus-induced changes in methylesterase activity during chemotaxis in Escherichia coli. J Biol Chem. 1984 Oct 10;259(19):11828–11835. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Kuo S. C., Koshland D. E., Jr Roles of cheY and cheZ gene products in controlling flagellar rotation in bacterial chemotaxis of Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol. 1987 Mar;169(3):1307–1314. doi: 10.1128/jb.169.3.1307-1314.1987. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. MacDonald R. E., Lanyi L. K. Light-induced leucine transport in Halobacterium halobium envelope vesicles: a chemiosmotic system. Biochemistry. 1975 Jul;14(13):2882–2889. doi: 10.1021/bi00684a014. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Marwan W., Oesterhelt D. Signal formation in the halobacterial photophobic response mediated by a fourth retinal protein (P480). J Mol Biol. 1987 May 20;195(2):333–342. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(87)90654-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. McCain D. A., Amici L. A., Spudich J. L. Kinetically resolved states of the Halobacterium halobium flagellar motor switch and modulation of the switch by sensory rhodopsin I. J Bacteriol. 1987 Oct;169(10):4750–4758. doi: 10.1128/jb.169.10.4750-4758.1987. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Nowlin D. M., Bollinger J., Hazelbauer G. L. Site-directed mutations altering methyl-accepting residues of a sensory transducer protein. Proteins. 1988;3(2):102–112. doi: 10.1002/prot.340030205. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Oesterhelt D., Marwan W. Change of membrane potential is not a component of the photophobic transduction chain in Halobacterium halobium. J Bacteriol. 1987 Aug;169(8):3515–3520. doi: 10.1128/jb.169.8.3515-3520.1987. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Otomo J., Marwan W., Oesterhelt D., Desel H., Uhl R. Biosynthesis of the two halobacterial light sensors P480 and sensory rhodopsin and variation in gain of their signal transduction chains. J Bacteriol. 1989 Apr;171(4):2155–2159. doi: 10.1128/jb.171.4.2155-2159.1989. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Parkinson J. S., Houts S. E. Isolation and behavior of Escherichia coli deletion mutants lacking chemotaxis functions. J Bacteriol. 1982 Jul;151(1):106–113. doi: 10.1128/jb.151.1.106-113.1982. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Parkinson J. S., Parker S. R., Talbert P. B., Houts S. E. Interactions between chemotaxis genes and flagellar genes in Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol. 1983 Jul;155(1):265–274. doi: 10.1128/jb.155.1.265-274.1983. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Parkinson J. S., Revello P. T. Sensory adaptation mutants of E. coli. Cell. 1978 Dec;15(4):1221–1230. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(78)90048-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Ravid S., Matsumura P., Eisenbach M. Restoration of flagellar clockwise rotation in bacterial envelopes by insertion of the chemotaxis protein CheY. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1986 Oct;83(19):7157–7161. doi: 10.1073/pnas.83.19.7157. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Schegk E. S., Oesterhelt D. Isolation of a prokaryotic photoreceptor: sensory rhodopsin from halobacteria. EMBO J. 1988 Sep;7(9):2925–2933. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1988.tb03151.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Schimz A., Hildebrand E. Chemosensory responses of Halobacterium halobium. J Bacteriol. 1979 Dec;140(3):749–753. doi: 10.1128/jb.140.3.749-753.1979. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Schimz A. Methylation of membrane proteins is involved in chemosensory and photosensory behavior of Halobacterium halobium. FEBS Lett. 1981 Mar 23;125(2):205–207. doi: 10.1016/0014-5793(81)80719-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Spudich E. N., Hasselbacher C. A., Spudich J. L. Methyl-accepting protein associated with bacterial sensory rhodopsin I. J Bacteriol. 1988 Sep;170(9):4280–4285. doi: 10.1128/jb.170.9.4280-4285.1988. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Spudich E. N., Spudich J. L. Control of transmembrane ion fluxes to select halorhodopsin-deficient and other energy-transduction mutants of Halobacterium halobium. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1982 Jul;79(14):4308–4312. doi: 10.1073/pnas.79.14.4308. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Spudich E. N., Sundberg S. A., Manor D., Spudich J. L. Properties of a second sensory receptor protein in Halobacterium halobium phototaxis. Proteins. 1986 Nov;1(3):239–246. doi: 10.1002/prot.340010306. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Spudich E. N., Takahashi T., Spudich J. L. Sensory rhodopsins I and II modulate a methylation/demethylation system in Halobacterium halobium phototaxis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1989 Oct;86(20):7746–7750. doi: 10.1073/pnas.86.20.7746. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Spudich J. L., Bogomolni R. A. Mechanism of colour discrimination by a bacterial sensory rhodopsin. Nature. 1984 Dec 6;312(5994):509–513. doi: 10.1038/312509a0. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Sundberg S. A., Alam M., Spudich J. L. Excitation signal processing times in Halobacterium halobium phototaxis. Biophys J. 1986 Nov;50(5):895–900. doi: 10.1016/S0006-3495(86)83530-5. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Sundberg S. A., Bogomolni R. A., Spudich J. L. Selection and properties of phototaxis-deficient mutants of Halobacterium halobium. J Bacteriol. 1985 Oct;164(1):282–287. doi: 10.1128/jb.164.1.282-287.1985. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Tomioka H., Takahashi T., Kamo N., Kobatake Y. Flash spectrophotometric identification of a fourth rhodopsin-like pigment in Halobacterium halobium. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1986 Sep 14;139(2):389–395. doi: 10.1016/s0006-291x(86)80003-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  33. Wolfe A. J., Conley M. P., Kramer T. J., Berg H. C. Reconstitution of signaling in bacterial chemotaxis. J Bacteriol. 1987 May;169(5):1878–1885. doi: 10.1128/jb.169.5.1878-1885.1987. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  34. Wolff E. K., Bogomolni R. A., Scherrer P., Hess B., Stoeckenius W. Color discrimination in halobacteria: spectroscopic characterization of a second sensory receptor covering the blue-green region of the spectrum. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1986 Oct;83(19):7272–7276. doi: 10.1073/pnas.83.19.7272. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Bacteriology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES