HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via CrossRef Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Yeo, M. Articles by Chater, K. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Yeo, M. Articles by Chater, K. Agricola Articles by Yeo, M. Articles by Chater, K.

The interplay of glycogen metabolism and differentiation provides an insight into the developmental biology of Streptomyces coelicolor

Marcus Yeo

Department of Molecular Microbiology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Colney, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK

Correspondence
Keith Chater
keith.chater{at}bbsrc.ac.uk

Mycelial colonies of the developmentally complex actinomycete Streptomyces coelicolor growing on solid medium contain glycogen in two distinct locations. Phase I deposits are found in a substrate mycelium region bordering the developing aerial mycelium. Their production involves GlgBI, one of two glycogen branching enzyme isoforms. Phase II deposits occur in the upper regions of aerial hyphae, in long tip cells that are dividing, or have just divided, into unigenomic prespore compartments. Their formation involves a second branching enzyme isoform, GlgBII. To find out if the gene for the second isoform, glgBII, is regulated by any of the well-studied whiA, B, G, H or I genes needed for sporulation septation, glgBI or glgBII was disrupted in a set of whi mutants, and the glycogen phenotypes examined by transmission electron microscopy. In the whiG mutants, deposits were found throughout the aerial mycelium and the adjacent region of the substrate mycelium, but the morphology of all the deposits, i.e. whether they were in the form of granules of branched glycogen or large blobs of unbranched glycan, depended solely on GlgBI. In contrast, the whiA, B, H and I mutations had no obvious effect on the pattern of glycogen deposition, or on the spatial specificity of the branching enzyme isoforms (though phase II glycogen deposits were reduced in size and abundance in the whiA and B mutants, and increased in the whiH mutant). These results indicate that glgBII is regulated (directly or indirectly) by whiG, and not by any of the other whi genes tested, and that the aerial hyphae of a whiG mutant are atypical in being physiologically similar to the substrate hyphae from which they emerge. A new role for aerial hyphae is proposed.

Present address: Cybersense Biosystems Ltd, CEH Oxford, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3SR, UK.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				G. M. Seibold and B. J. Eikmanns The glgX gene product of Corynebacterium glutamicum is required for glycogen degradation and for fast adaptation to hyperosmotic stress Microbiology, July 1, 2007; 153(7): 2212 - 2220. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				Y. Tian, K. Fowler, K. Findlay, H. Tan, and K. F. Chater An Unusual Response Regulator Influences Sporulation at Early and Late Stages in Streptomyces coelicolor J. Bacteriol., April 1, 2007; 189(7): 2873 - 2885. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]