HtrA Contributes to Biofilm Formation in <i>Mycobacterium smegmatis</i> by Downregulating the Cell Wall Amidase Ami3.

ABSTRACT: Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of tuberculosis, utilizes biofilm formation as a key mechanism to withstand host-derived stresses. To identify novel factors involved in this process, we performed a CRISPRi screen in the model organism Mycobacterium smegmatis. This screen identified trypsin HtrA as a critical factor for growth and biofilm formation. Deletion of htrA led to a profound upregulation of the cell wall amidase Ami3. We demonstrated that Ami3 is a crucial negative regulator of biofilm formation, as overexpression of ami3 recapitulated the biofilm and growth defects of the ΔhtrA strain. Furthermore, we found that the essential role of periplasmic protease HtrA for normal growth could be suppressed by novel mutations in pmt,

SUBMITTER: Zheng J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12735335 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature