Phosphorylated DegU manipulates cell fate differentiation in the Bacillus subtilis biofilm.

ABSTRACT: Cell differentiation is ubiquitous and facilitates division of labor and development. Bacteria are capable of multicellular behaviors that benefit the bacterial community as a whole. A striking example of bacterial differentiation occurs throughout the formation of a biofilm. During Bacillus subtilis biofilm formation, a subpopulation of cells differentiates into a specialized population that synthesizes the exopolysaccharide and the TasA amyloid components of the extracellular matrix. The differentiation process is indirectly controlled by the transcription factor Spo0A that facilitates transcription of the eps and tapA (tasA) operons. DegU is a transcription factor involved in regulating biofilm formation. Here, using a combination of genetics and live single-cell cytological techniques,

SUBMITTER: Marlow VL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3911142 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature