Development of Surface Adhesion inCaulobacter crescentus

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Abstract
Caulobacter crescentushas a dimorphic life cycle composed of a motile stage and a sessile stage. In the sessile stage,C. crescentusis often found tightly attached to a surface through its adhesive holdfast. In this study, we examined the contribution of growth and external structures to the attachment ofC. crescentusto abiotic surfaces. We show that the holdfast is essential but not sufficient for optimal attachment. Rather, adhesion inC. crescentusis a complex developmental process. We found that the attachment ofC. crescentusto surfaces is cell cycle regulated and that growth or energy or both are essential for this process. The initial stage of attachment occurs in swarmer cells and is facilitated by flagellar motility and pili. Our results suggest that strong attachment is mediated by the synthesis of a holdfast as the swarmer cell differentiates into a stalked cell.