YcfR (BhsA) influences Escherichia coli biofilm formation through stress response and surface hydrophobicity.

ABSTRACT: DNA microarrays revealed that expression of ycfR, which encodes a putative outer membrane protein, is significantly induced in Escherichia coli biofilms and is also induced by several stress conditions. We show that deletion of ycfR increased biofilm formation fivefold in the presence of glucose; the glucose effect was corroborated by showing binding of the cyclic AMP receptor protein to the ycfR promoter. It appears that YcfR is a multiple stress resistance protein, since deleting ycfR also rendered the cell more sensitive to acid, heat treatment, hydrogen peroxide, and cadmium. Increased biofilm formation through YcfR due to stress appears to be the result of decreasing indole synthesis, since a mutation in the tnaA gene encoding tryptophanase prevented enhanced biofilm formation upon st

SUBMITTER: Zhang XS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1855844 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature