Localization of P42 and F(1)-ATPase α-subunit homolog of the gliding machinery in Mycoplasma mobile revealed by newly developed gene manipulation and fluorescent protein tagging.

Mycoplasma mobile has a unique mechanism that enables it to glide on solid surfaces faster than any other gliding mycoplasma. To elucidate the gliding mechanism, we developed a transformation system for M. mobile based on a transposon derived from Tn4001. Modification of the electroporation conditions, outgrowth time, and colony formation from the standard method for Mycoplasma species enabled successful transformation. A fluorescent-protein tagging technique was developed using the enhanced yellow fluorescent protein (EYFP) and applied to two proteins that have been suggested to be involved in the gliding mechanism: P42 (MMOB1050), which is transcribed as continuous mRNA with other proteins essential for gliding, and a homolog of the F1-ATPase α-subunit (MMOB1660). Analysis of the amino acid sequence of P42 by PSI-BLAST suggested that P42 evolved from a common ancestor with FtsZ, the bacterial tubulin homologue. The roles of P42 and the F(1)-ATPase subunit homolog are discussed as part of our proposed gliding mechanism.