A polarity-controlled Tad nanomachine enables prey invasion in a bacterial predator
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Type IV pili are dynamic surface appendages assembled by envelope-spanning nanomachines that mediate diverse bacterial interactions, yet how these systems are adapted to predatory lifestyles remains poorly understood. Here we investigate the tight adherence (Tad) machinery of the obligate predator Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus. Using inducible CRISPR interference combined with live-cell and microfluidics imaging, we show that the Tad system is essential for prolonged prey attachment and subsequent prey remodeling and invasion. The machinery assembles specifically at the invasive cell pole before prey encounter and is temporally coordinated with the predatory cell cycle. We further demonstrate that polar localization of the Tad machinery depends on the polarity hub RomR. In addition, the atypical TadZA fusion ATPase interacts with RomR, identifying a potential molecular link between polarity control and Tad assembly. Together, our findings reveal how spatiotemporal control of a conserved filament system supports bacterial predation.
