Control and benefits of CP4-57 prophage excision in Escherichia coli biofilms.

ABSTRACT: Earlier, we discovered that the global regulator, Hha, is related to cell death in biofilms and regulates cryptic prophage genes. Here, we show that Hha induces excision of prophages, CP4-57 and DLP12, by inducing excision genes and by reducing SsrA synthesis. SsrA is a tmRNA that is important for rescuing stalled ribosomes, contains an attachment site for CP4-57 and is shown here to be required for CP4-57 excision. These prophages impact biofilm development, as the deletion of 35 genes individually of prophages, CP4-57 and DLP12, increase biofilm formation up to 17-fold, and five genes decrease biofilm formation up to sixfold. In addition, CP4-57 excises during early biofilm development but not in planktonic cells, whereas DLP12 excision was detected at all the developmental stages for bo

SUBMITTER: Wang X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2754048 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature