TY - JOUR T1 - Analysis of cell-cell bridges in <em>Haloferax volcanii</em> using Electron cryo-tomography reveal a continuous cytoplasm and S-layer JF - bioRxiv DO - 10.1101/2020.09.30.320622 SP - 2020.09.30.320622 AU - Shamphavi Sivabalasarma AU - Hanna Wetzel AU - Phillip Nußbaum AU - Chris van der Does AU - Morgan Beeby AU - Sonja-Verena Albers Y1 - 2020/01/01 UR - http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2020/09/30/2020.09.30.320622.abstract N2 - Halophilic archaea exchange DNA and proteins using a fusion-based mating mechanism. Scanning electron microscopy previously suggested that mating involves an intermediate state, where cells are connected by an intercellular bridge. To better understand this process, we used electron cryotomography and fluorescence microscopy to visualize cells forming these intercellular bridges. Electron cryo-tomography showed that the observed bridges were enveloped by an S-layer and connected mating cells via a continuous cytoplasm. Macromolecular complexes like ribosomes and unknown thin filamentous helical structures were visualized in the cytoplasm inside the bridges, demonstrating that these bridges can facilitate exchange of cellular components. We followed formation of a cell-cell bridge by fluorescence time-lapse microscopy between cells at a distance of 1.5 µm. These results shed light on the process of haloarchaeal mating and highlight further mechanistic questions.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest. ER -