The pyrimidine nucleotide biosynthetic pathway modulates production of biofilm determinants in Escherichia coli.

ABSTRACT: Bacteria are often found in multicellular communities known as biofilms, which constitute a resistance form against environmental stresses. Extracellular adhesion and cell aggregation factors, responsible for bacterial biofilm formation and maintenance, are tightly regulated in response to physiological and environmental cues. We show that, in Escherichia coli, inactivation of genes belonging to the de novo uridine monophosphate (UMP) biosynthetic pathway impairs production of curli fibers and cellulose, important components of the bacterial biofilm matrix, by inhibiting transcription of the csgDEFG operon, thus preventing production of the biofilm master regulator CsgD protein. Supplementing growth media with exogenous uracil, which can be converted to UMP through the pyrimidine nucleotid

SUBMITTER: Garavaglia M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3281075 | biostudies-literature | 2012

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature