Marine tubeworm metamorphosis induced by arrays of bacterial phage tail-like structures
Shikuma, N.J.; Pilhofer, M.; Weiss, G.L.; Hadfield, M.G.; Jensen, G.J.; Newman, D.K. (2014). Marine tubeworm metamorphosis induced by arrays of bacterial phage tail-like structures. Science (Wash.) 343(6170): 529-533. http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.1246794
In: Science (Washington). American Association for the Advancement of Science: New York, N.Y. ISSN 0036-8075; e-ISSN 1095-9203, meer
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| Auteurs | | Top |
- Shikuma, N.J.
- Pilhofer, M.
- Weiss, G.L.
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- Hadfield, M.G.
- Jensen, G.J.
- Newman, D.K.
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| Abstract |
Many benthic marine animal populations are established and maintained by free-swimming larvae that recognize cues from surface-bound bacteria to settle and metamorphose. Larvae of the tubeworm Hydroides elegans, an important biofouling agent, require contact with surface-bound bacteria to undergo metamorphosis; however, the mechanisms that underpin this microbially mediated developmental transition have been enigmatic. Here, we show that a marine bacterium, Pseudoalteromonas luteoviolacea, produces arrays of phage tail–like structures that trigger metamorphosis of H. elegans. These arrays comprise about 100 contractile structures with outward-facing baseplates, linked by tail fibers and a dynamic hexagonal net. Not only do these arrays suggest a novel form of bacterium-animal interaction, they provide an entry point to understanding how marine biofilms can trigger animal development. |
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