biostudies-literatureCairns LSWellcome TrustBiotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council6-21https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC3963450biostudies-literatureUnknown90(1)In the natural environment bacteria predominantly live adhered to a surface as part of a biofilm. While many of the components needed for biofilm assembly are known, the mechanism by which microbes sense and respond to contact with a surface is poorly understood. Bacillus subtilis is a Gram-positive model for biofilm formation. The DegS-DegU two-component system controls several multicellular behaviours in B. subtilis, including biofilm formation. Here we identify the B. subtilis flagellum as a mechanosensor that activates the DegS-DegU regulatory pathway. Inhibition of flagellar rotation by deletion or mutation of the flagellar stator gene, motB, results in an increase in both degU transcription and DegU∼P driven processes, namely exoprotease production and poly-γ-dl-glutamic acid biosyntMolecular microbiologyA mechanical signal transmitted by the flagellum controls signalling in Bacillus subtilis.PMC3963450BB/H002340/1093714097818/Z/11/ABB/I006915/1097945/B/11/ZBB/D526161/1093714/Z/10/ZStanley-Wall NRMarlow VLBissett EOstrowski ACairns LSfalseA mechanical signal transmitted by the flagellum controls signalling in Bacillus subtilis.In the natural environment bacteria predominantly live adhered to a surface as part of a biofilm. While many of the components needed for biofilm assembly are known, the mechanism by which microbes sense and respond to contact with a surface is poorly understood. Bacillus subtilis is a Gram-positive model for biofilm formation. The DegS-DegU two-component system controls several multicellular behaviours in B. subtilis, including biofilm formation. Here we identify the B. subtilis flagellum as a mechanosensor that activates the DegS-DegU regulatory pathway. Inhibition of flagellar rotation by deletion or mutation of the flagellar stator gene, motB, results in an increase in both degU transcription and DegU∼P driven processes, namely exoprotease production and poly-γ-dl-glutamic acid biosynt2013-01-01T00:00:00Z2013 Oct2025-04-04T19:09:06.589Z2019-03-27T01:23:51ZS-EPMC39634502388891210.1111/mmi.12342