The extracellular DNA lattice of bacterial biofilms is structurally related to Holliday junction recombination intermediates.

ABSTRACT: Extracellular DNA (eDNA) is a critical component of the extracellular matrix of bacterial biofilms that protects the resident bacteria from environmental hazards, which includes imparting significantly greater resistance to antibiotics and host immune effectors. eDNA is organized into a lattice-like structure, stabilized by the DNABII family of proteins, known to have high affinity and specificity for Holliday junctions (HJs). Accordingly, we demonstrated that the branched eDNA structures present within the biofilms formed by NTHI in the middle ear of the chinchilla in an experimental otitis media model, and in sputum samples recovered from cystic fibrosis patients that contain multiple mixed bacterial species, possess an HJ-like configuration. Next, we showed that the prototypic Escherich

SUBMITTER: Devaraj A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6911203 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature