Strain-dependent motility defects and suppression by a flhO mutation for B. subtilis bactofilins.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Bactofilins can assemble into polymeric structures and play important roles in cell shape maintenance, chromosome segregation and motility. Bacillus subtilis bactofilins BacE and BacF were shown to be important for swimming motility in strain PY79, and single gene deletions were reported to be lethal, in contrast to a double bacEF deletion.

Results

Extending this work, we show that motility defects vary between different B. subtilis strains, with strain 168 showing no defect in motility, and 3610 showing delayed induction of swimming. Generation of single gene deletions in PY79 was possible by transferring corresponding deletions from 168. In the natural isolate 3610, gene deletions also showed a negative effect on biofilm formation, revealing an additional functio

SUBMITTER: Holtrup S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9103452 | biostudies-literature | 2022 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature