Impairment of a cyanobacterial glycosyltransferase that modifies a pilin results in biofilm development.

ABSTRACT: A biofilm inhibiting mechanism operates in the cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus. Here, we demonstrate that the glycosyltransferase homologue, Ogt, participates in the inhibitory process - inactivation of ogt results in robust biofilm formation. Furthermore, a mutational approach shows requirement of the glycosyltransferase activity for biofilm inhibition. This enzyme is necessary for glycosylation of the pilus subunit and for adequate pilus formation. In contrast to wild-type culture in which most cells exhibit several pili, only 25% of the mutant cells are piliated, half of which possess a single pilus. In spite of this poor piliation, natural DNA competence was similar to that of wild-type; therefore, we propose that the unglycosylated pili facilitate DNA transformation. Additional

SUBMITTER: Suban S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9306852 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature