Surface sensing stimulates cellular differentiation in <i>Caulobacter crescentus</i>
Rhett A. Snyder, Courtney K. Ellison, Geoffrey B. Severin, Gregory B. Whitfield, Christopher M. Waters, Yves V. Brun
Abstract
Significance Cells from all domains of life sense and respond to mechanical and physical cues. In eukaryotes, mechanical signals such as adhesion and surface stiffness are important for regulating fundamental processes including cell differentiation during embryonic development. While mechanobiology is abundantly studied in eukaryotes, the role of mechanical and physical influences on prokaryotic biology remains underinvestigated. Here, we demonstrate that surface sensing mediated through obstruction of the dynamic extension and retraction of tight adherence (tad) pili stimulates cell differentiation and cell-cycle progression in the dimorphic α-proteobacterium Caulobacter crescentus . Our results demonstrate an important intersection between mechanical stimuli and the regulation of a fundamental aspect of cell biology.