Cell cycle progression and stalked cell morphogenesis in Caulobacter crescentus are regulated independently by the flagellum

A subset of flagellar signaling suppressor genes in Caulobacter crescentus independently controls stalked cell morphogenesis and cell cycle progression, linking surface sensing to two separable developmental sub-pathways.

• Why it matters: Surface contact triggers rapid physiological changes, but adhesin and motility shifts alone do not explain the full range of adaptations in attached cells, leaving unclear which downstream programs are directly regulated.
• What they did: Using live-cell microscopy of flagellar assembly mutants carrying fss gene disruptions, the authors mapped independent sub-pathways affecting stalk formation versus S-phase entry, and tested roles for fssD/fssE, PleD, MotB, and FssC.
• The result: fssD and fssE regulate stalked morphogenesis by stimulating the diguanylate cyclase PleD in flagellar assembly mutants, while MotB/FssC control S-phase entry downstream of the flagellum independently of c-di-GMP and CtrA.

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