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Fig. 6 | BMC Microbiology

Fig. 6

From: Calcium regulates the mycophagous ability of Burkholderia gladioli strain NGJ1 in a type III secretion system-dependent manner

Fig. 6

Proposed model of calcium regulated mycophagous activity of B. gladioli strain NGJ1. During mycophagous interaction with R. solani, the T3SS of NGJ1 gets activated This facilitates the delivery of various effector molecules including Bg_9562 into fungal cells in a T3SS dependent manner, which in turn is required for mycophagy. The low calcium environment created by EGTA, deregulates the T3SS and triggers the secretion of various T3SS effectors of NGJ1 into the fungal cells as well as extracellular milieu. The presence of a cocktail of potent cell wall lytic enzymes/proteins as well as Bg_9562 protein into the extracellular milieu may facilitate efficient fungal cell lysis and leakage of fungal metabolites. NGJ1 may utilize these fungal metabolites as a nutrient source to promote its growth during mycophagy. On the other hand, presence of CaCl2 prevents the induction of T3SS even in presence of fungi (during mycophagous interaction of NGJ1 with R. solani). Under this scenario, the T3SS effectors are neither delivered into the fungal cells nor secreted into the extracellular milieu. The bacterium is unable to lyse fungal membrane/release fungal metabolites and is compromised in foraging over fungal biomass

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