Fig. 5

Competence interferes with peptidoglycan synthesis and StkP kinase activity. a Localization of peptidoglycan synthesis in the presence (ComM + ) or absence (ΔComM) of ComM. Competent and non-competent cells were incubated for 15 min with the blue fluorescent derivative of D-alanine HADA. Phase contrast (left), fluorescent (middle), and false-colored overlay images (phase contrast, gray; HADA, blue) are shown. Scale bars, 1 µm. Images are representative of seven biological replicates. b Fraction of cells harboring polar HADA staining and cells with a single thin HADA band at midcell in ComM+ (R3966) and ΔComM (R3967) cultures. The total number of cells analyzed is indicated. Values are indicated with s.d. for three independent experiments. c, d Western blot of cell lysates probed with anti-phosphothreonine antibodies. Samples were prepared from competent (+) or non competent (−) cultures. Control strains harboring a deletion of the divIVA gene (R4134), a Jag-SPA fusion (R4143), and phosphoablative mutants of DivIVA (DivIVA*, R4144) and MapZ (MapZ*, mapZ-2TA) were used to distinguish the phosphorylation signals for StkP, MapZ, Jag, and DivIVA. c Strain used: WT (R1501). Data are representative of seven biological replicates and three technical replicates. Full blot is shown in Supplementary Fig. 12a. d Strains used: ΔComX (R2002), ΔComX ΔComM (R2132). Data are representative of two biological replicates and one technical replicate. Full blot is shown in Supplementary Fig. 12b