Landes Bioscience

Hfq and Hfq-dependent small RNAs are major contributors to multicellular development in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium

Claudia Monteiro, Kai Papenfort, Karina Hentrich, Irfan Ahmad, Soazig Le Guyon, Romy Reimann, Nina Grantcharova, * Ute Römling

Pages 489 - 502
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Claudia Monteiro: Department of Microbiology; Tumor and Cell Biology (MTC); Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Microbiology; Tumor and Cell Biology (MTC); Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Current Affiliation: INEB–Instituto de Engenharia Biomédica; Universidade do Porto; Porto, Portugal
Kai Papenfort: Institute for Molecular Infection Biology; University of Würzburg; Würzburg, Germany
Karina Hentrich: Department of Microbiology; Tumor and Cell Biology (MTC); Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Microbiology; Tumor and Cell Biology (MTC); Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
Irfan Ahmad: Department of Microbiology; Tumor and Cell Biology (MTC); Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Microbiology; Tumor and Cell Biology (MTC); Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
Soazig Le Guyon: Department of Microbiology; Tumor and Cell Biology (MTC); Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Microbiology; Tumor and Cell Biology (MTC); Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
Romy Reimann: Department of Microbiology; Tumor and Cell Biology (MTC); Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Microbiology; Tumor and Cell Biology (MTC); Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
Nina Grantcharova: Department of Microbiology; Tumor and Cell Biology (MTC); Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Microbiology; Tumor and Cell Biology (MTC); Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
Ute Römling: *Corresponding author: Ute.Romling@ki.se; Department of Microbiology; Tumor and Cell Biology (MTC); Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Microbiology; Tumor and Cell Biology (MTC); Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden

Submitted

August 19, 2011

Revised

February 8, 2012

Accepted

February 11, 2012

Published Online

February 16, 2012

Keywords: ArcZ, CsgD, RyeB, SdsR, curli fimbriae, flagella, type 1 fimbriae

Abstract: The RNA chaperone Hfq and its associated small RNAs (sRNAs) regulate a variety of phenotypes in bacteria. In this work, we show that Hfq is a master regulator of biofilm formation in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. Hfq and two Hfq-dependent sRNAs (ArcZ and SdsR) are required for rdar morphotype expression in S. typhimurium. Hfq controls rdar biofilm formation through the major biofilm regulator CsgD. While csgD mRNA steady-state levels are altered in a sdsR mutant, ArcZ seems to work mainly at the post-transcriptional level. Overexpression of ArcZ complemented rdar morphotype formation of an hfq mutant under plate-grown conditions. Although ArcZ activates rpoS expression, its effect on csgD expression is mainly independent of RpoS. ArcZ does not only regulate rdar morphotype expression, but also the transition between sessility and motility and the timing of type 1 fimbriae vs. curli fimbriae surface-attachment at ambient temperature. Consequently, ArcZ is a major regulator of rdar biofilm development.