Formation of functional, non-amyloidogenic fibres by recombinant Bacillus subtilis TasA.

ABSTRACT: Bacterial biofilms are communities of microbial cells encased within a self-produced polymeric matrix. In the Bacillus subtilis biofilm matrix, the extracellular fibres of TasA are essential. Here, a recombinant expression system allows interrogation of TasA, revealing that monomeric and fibre forms of TasA have identical secondary structure, suggesting that fibrous TasA is a linear assembly of globular units. Recombinant TasA fibres form spontaneously, and share the biological activity of TasA fibres extracted from B. subtilis, whereas a TasA variant restricted to a monomeric form is inactive and subjected to extracellular proteolysis. The biophysical properties of both native and recombinant TasA fibres indicate that they are not functional amyloid-like fibres. A gel formed by TasA fibre

SUBMITTER: Erskine E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6334530 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature