Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
6131460 | Current Opinion in Microbiology | 2016 | 6 Pages |
Abstract
Over the millennia, diverse species of bacteria have evolved multiple independent mechanisms to structure sessile biofilm communities that confer protection and stability to the inhabitants. The Gram-positive soil bacterium Bacillus subtilis biofilm presents as an architecturally complex, highly hydrophobic community that resists wetting by water, solvents, and biocides. This remarkable property is conferred by a small secreted protein called BslA, which self-assembles into an organized lattice at an interface. In the biofilm, production of BslA is tightly regulated and the resultant protein is secreted into the extracellular environment where it forms a very effective communal barrier allowing the resident B. subtilis cells to shelter under the protection of a protein raincoat.
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Authors
Sofia Arnaouteli, Cait E MacPhee, Nicola R Stanley-Wall,