Neisseria cinerea 346T whole genome sequence

Type VI Secretion Systems (T6SS) are widespread in bacteria and can
dictate the development and organisation of polymicrobial ecosystems by
mediating contact dependent killing. In Neisseria species,
including Neisseria cinerea a commensal of the human respiratory tract,
interbacterial contacts are mediated by Type four pili (Tfp) which promote
formation of aggregates and govern the spatial dynamics of growing
Neisseria microcolonies. Here we show that N. cinerea expresses a
plasmid-encoded T6SS that is active and can limit growth of
related pathogens. We explored the impact of Tfp expression on N.
cinerea T6SS-dependent killing and show that expression of Tfp by
prey strains enhances their susceptibility to T6SS, by keeping
them in close proximity of T6SS wielding attacker strains. Our findings
have important implications for understanding how spatial
constraints during contact-dependent antagonism can shape the evolution
of microbial communities.