The Ser/Thr protein kinase AfsK regulates polar growth and hyphal branching in the filamentous bacteria Streptomyces

• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1207409109
• Publication Date: 2012-08-07T02:50:06Z
• Authors: Antje M. Hempel; Stuart Cantlay; Virginie Molle; Sheng-Bing Wang; Mike J. Naldrett; Jennifer L. Parker; David M. Richards; Yong-Gyun Jung; Mark J. Buttner; Klas Flärdh
• Keywords: Cell polarity

In cells that exhibit apical growth, mechanisms regulate cell polarity are crucial for determination of cellular shape and the adaptation growth to intrinsic extrinsic cues. Broadly conserved pathways control in eukaryotes, but less is known about polarly growing prokaryotes. An evolutionarily ancient form found filamentous bacteria Streptomyces , directed by a polarisome-like complex involving essential protein DivIVA. We report here this bacterial polarization machinery regulated eukaryotic-type Ser/Thr kinase, AfsK, which localizes hyphal tips phosphorylates During normal AfsK regulates branching modulating branch-site selection some aspect underlying polarisome-splitting mechanism controls hyphae. Further, activated signals generated arrest wall synthesis directly communicates polarisome hyperphosphorylating Induction high levels DivIVA phosphorylation using constitutively active mutant causes disassembly polarisomes, followed establishment multiple branches elsewhere cell, revealing profound impact kinase on polarity. The function reminiscent phoshorylation proteins components kinases eukaryotes.