Cell-to-cell interactions revealed by cryo-tomography of a DPANN co-culture system
DPANN is a widespread and diverse group of archaea characterized by their small size, reduced genome, limited metabolic pathways, and symbiotic existence. Known DPANN species are predominantly obligate ectosymbionts that depend on their host for proliferation. The structural and molecular details of host recognition, host-DPANN intercellular communication, and host adaptation in response to DPANN attachment remain unknown. Here, we use electron cryotomography (cryo-ET) to show that the Microcaldus variisymbioticus ARM-1 may interact with its host, Metallosphaera javensis AS-7 through intercellular proteinaceous nanotubes. Combining cryo-ET and sub-tomogram averaging, we show the in situ architectures of host and DPANN S-layers and the structures of the nanotubes in their primed and extended states. In addition, comparative proteomics and genomic analyses identified host proteomic changes in response to DPANN attachment. These results provide insights into the structural basis of host-DPANN communication and deepen our understanding of the host ectosymbiotic relationships.
Authors
- Manasi Mudaliyar (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8417-6094)
- Doulin C. Shepherd (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3190-9447)
- Arun Prasad Pandurangan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7168-7143)
- Nichollas E. Scott (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2556-8316)
- Hiroyuki D. Sakai (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3583-0285)
- Francesca L. Short (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0025-4858)
- Debnath Ghosal (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2227-0330)
- Paul D. Veith (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7344-1662)
- Norio Kurosawa (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5095-2104)
- Matthew D. Johnson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0808-3336)
Institutions
- The University of Melbourne (AU)
- University of Cambridge (GB)
- Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute (AU)
- Soka University (JP)
- RIKEN BioResource Research Center (JP)
- Peter Doherty Institute (AU)
- Monash University (AU)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Nature Communications
- Published
- 2024-08-16
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-51159-2
- Citations
- 9
- Primary Topic
- Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 4.13
Funders
- Japan Society for the Promotion of Science London
- Human Frontier Science Program
- Australian Research Council
- National Health and Medical Research Council