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Cited by 14Bacterial Genetics and BiotechnologyBiochemical and Structural CharacterizationMicrobial Community Ecology and Physiology

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Saccharibacteria deploy two distinct type IV pili, driving episymbiosis, host competition, and twitching motility

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Grossman, Alex S, Lei, Lei, Botting, Jack M, Liu, Jett, Nahar, Nusrat, Liu, Jun, McLean, Jeffrey S, He, Xuesong, Bor, Batbileg·2025·The ISME Journal
DOI 10.1093/ismejo/wraf119PMC PMC12206443

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Abstract

All cultivated Patescibacteria, also known as the candidate phyla radiation, are obligate episymbionts residing on other microbes. Despite being ubiquitous in many diverse environments, including mammalian microbiomes, molecular mechanisms of host identification and binding amongst ultrasmall bacterial episymbionts remain largely unknown. Type 4 pili are well conserved in this group and could potentially facilitate these symbiotic interactions. To test this hypothesis, we genetically targeted pili genes in Saccharibacteria Nanosynbacter lyticus strain TM7x to assess their essentiality and roles in symbiosis. Our results revealed that N. lyticus assembles two distinct type 4 pili: a nonessential thin pilus that has the smallest diameter of any type 4 pili and contributes to host-binding and episymbiont growth; and an essential thick pilus involved in twitching motility. To understand the role of these pili in vivo we developed Saccharibacteria competition assays and species-specific Fluorescence in situ hybridization probes. Competition between different Saccharibacteria within mock communities demonstrated consistent competitive outcomes that were not driven by priority effects but were dependent on the thin pilus. Collectively, our findings demonstrate that Saccharibacteria encode unique extracellular pili that enable their underexplored episymbiotic lifestyle and competitive fitness within a community.

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Metadata

Authors
Grossman, A. S., Lei, L., Botting, J. M., Liu, J., Nahar, N., Liu, J., McLean, J. S., He, X., & Bor, B.
Affiliations
  • The Forsyth Institute (US)
  • Sichuan University (CN)
  • Yale University (US)
  • University of Washington (US)
Corresponding author
Bor, Batbileg
ORCID
Venue
The ISME Journal
Publisher
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Published
2025-01
Volume
19
Issue
1
ISSN
  • 1751-7362 (ISSN-L)
  • 1751-7370
DOI
10.1093/ismejo/wraf119
PMC
PMC12206443
OpenAlex
W4411134751
Cited by
14
References
0
Citations by year
2026: 9 · 2025: 5
FWCI
8.23
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • The ISME Journal (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) (acceptedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
Funders
  • National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (1R01DE031274, 1R01DE023810, T90 DE026110-07)
  • National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (R01AI152421)
  • NIH (1S10OD034405-01, 1S10OD023603-01A1)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Bacterial Genetics and Biotechnology
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Biochemical and Structural Characterization
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology
Keywords
Saccharibacteria, Patescibacteria, Candidate Phyla Radiation, type IV pili, twitching motility, host competition, bacterial competition, mock microbial community, priority effects, bacterial symbiosis

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