Pantoea stewartii WceF is a glycan biofilm-modifying enzyme with a bacteriophage tailspike-like fold.

ABSTRACT: Pathogenic microorganisms often reside in glycan-based biofilms. Concentration and chain length distribution of these mostly anionic exopolysaccharides (EPS) determine the overall biophysical properties of a biofilm and result in a highly viscous environment. Bacterial communities regulate this biofilm state via intracellular small-molecule signaling to initiate EPS synthesis. Reorganization or degradation of this glycan matrix, however, requires the action of extracellular glycosidases. So far, these were mainly described for bacteriophages that must degrade biofilms for gaining access to host bacteria. The plant pathogen Pantoea stewartii (P. stewartii) encodes the protein WceF within its EPS synthesis cluster. WceF has homologs in various biofilm forming plant pathogens of the Erwinia f

SUBMITTER: Irmscher T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7949094 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jan-Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature