Project description:We isolated an atmospheric contaminant, subsequently identified as a new strain of Bacillus mobilis, which showed a novel, robust, inducible filamentous sliding motility and completely colonized a bacterial culture plate in less than 48 h under some conditions. This flagella-independent sliding motility was characterized by long filamentous cells at the expanding edge, and was induced when cells were inoculated onto lawns of metabolically inactive Campylobacter jejuni cells, heat killed bacterial biomass, and milk or blood dried onto agar plates. Phosphatidylcholine (PC), bacterial membrane components, and sterile human fecal extracts were sufficient to induce filamentous expansion. Screening of eight other Bacillus spp. (five from the B. cereus group and three other Bacillus spp.) showed that filamentous motility was conserved amongst B. cereus group species to varying degrees. RNAseq of filamentously expanding cells collected from PC and milk lawn plates in comparison to rod-shaped cells from control plates revealed that genes related to metabolism, ion and amino acid transport were differently regulated, genes controlling sporulation were reduced, and some virulence genes (e.g., hblA/B/C/D and plcR) were increased. We hypothesize that the robust and conserved nature of filamentous motility in pathogenic B. cereus group species can enhance bacterial colonization during host colonization.
Project description:This series represents the work described in the publication Bacillus subtilis Genome Diversity by Earl et al. (Journal of Bacteriology, accepted) Keywords: comparative genomic hybridization
Project description:Extraction samples of Bacillus spp. and B. thailandensis in mono and co-culture. Extracts were analyzed with LC-MS/MS to identify compounds detected within the aforementioned samples. Included are extracts of B. thailandensis monocultures, several Bacillus spp. monocultures, and co-cultures of B. thailandensis with Bacillus velezensis.
Project description:Investigation of the kinetics of whole genome gene expression level changes in Bacillus subtilis NDmed strain during formation of submerged biofilm and pellicle. The Bacillus subtilis NDmed strain analyzed in this study is able to form thick and highly structured submerged biofilms as described in Bridier et al., (2011) The Spatial Architecture of Bacillus subtilis Biofilms Deciphered Using a Surface-Associated Model and In Situ Imaging. PLoS ONE 6(1):e16177.
Project description:Identification of the specific WalR (YycF) binding regions on the B. subtilis chromosome during exponential and phosphate starvation growth phases. The data serves to extend the WalRK regulon in Bacillus subtilis and its role in cell wall metabolism, as well as implying a role in several other cellular processes.
Project description:5-methylcytosine is one of the major epigenetic modifications of DNA in living organisms. In bacteria, some species possess DNA methyltransferases that produce the cytosine modification in both strands or either strand of its target sequence. The purpose of this study is to characterize BatIM, the orphan cytosine methyltransferase coded on a prophage region of Bacillus anthracis.
