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bioRxiv · 10.1101/2023.06.05.543771

An obligate intracellular bacterial pathogen forms a direct, interkingdom membrane contact site

Acevedo-Sanchez, Y.·Woida, P. J.·Kraemer, S.·Lamason, R. L.
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Abstract

Interorganelle communication regulates cellular homeostasis through the formation of tightly-associated membrane contact sites 1-3. Prior work has identified several ways that intracellular pathogens alter contacts between eukaryotic membranes 4-6, but there is no existing evidence for contact sites spanning eukaryotic and prokaryotic membranes. Here, using a combination of live-cell microscopy and transmission and focused-ion-beam scanning electron microscopy, we demonstrate that the intracellular bacterial pathogen Rickettsia parkeri forms a direct membrane contact site between its bacterial outer membrane and the rough endoplasmic reticulum (ER), with tethers that are approximately 55 nm apart. Depletion of the ER-specific tethers VAPA and VAPB reduced the frequency of rickettsia-ER contacts, suggesting these interactions mimic organelle-ER contacts. Overall, our findings illuminate a direct, interkingdom membrane contact site uniquely mediated by rickettsia that seems to mimic traditional host MCSs.

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Acevedo-Sanchez, Y., Woida, P. J., Kraemer, S., Lamason, R. L.. 2023-06-06. An obligate intracellular bacterial pathogen forms a direct, interkingdom membrane contact site. https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.06.05.543771

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