Expansion of the Spore Surface Polysaccharide Layer in Bacillus subtilis by Deletion of Genes Encoding Glycosyltransferases and Glucose Modification Enzymes.

ABSTRACT: Polysaccharides (PS) decorate the surface of dormant endospores (spores). In the model organism for sporulation, Bacillus subtilis, the composition of the spore PS is not known in detail. Here, we have assessed how PS synthesis enzymes produced during the late stages of sporulation affect spore surface properties. Using four methods, bacterial adhesion to hydrocarbons (BATH) assays, India ink staining, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) with ruthenium red staining, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), we characterized the contributions of four sporulation gene clusters, spsABCDEFGHIJKL, yfnHGF-yfnED, ytdA-ytcABC, and cgeAB-cgeCDE, on the morphology and properties of the crust, the outermost spore layer. Our results show that all mutations in the sps operon result in the production o

SUBMITTER: Shuster B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6755746 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature