bacterial adhesion
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyThe sps Genes Encode an Original Legionaminic Acid Pathway Required for Crust Assembly in Bacillus subtilisBacillus species are a major economic and food safety concern of the food industry because of their food spoilage-causing capability and persistence. Their persistence is mainly due to their ability to form highly resistant spores adhering to the surfaces of industrial equipment. Spores of the Bacillus subtilis group are surrounded by the crust, a superficial...
- Research ArticleLayered Structure and Complex Mechanochemistry Underlie Strength and Versatility in a Bacterial Adhesive
There is an urgent need for strong, biocompatible bioadhesives that perform underwater. To strongly adhere to surfaces and resist flow underwater, the bacterium Caulobacter crescentus produces an adhesive called the holdfast, the mechanochemistry of which remains undefined. We show that the holdfast is a layered structure with a stiff core layer and a polymeric brush layer and consists of polysaccharides, polypeptides, and DNA...
- Research ArticleSLC6A14 Is a Genetic Modifier of Cystic Fibrosis That Regulates Pseudomonas aeruginosa Attachment to Human Bronchial Epithelial Cells
CF patients with shared CFTR gene mutations show significant variability in their clinical presentation of infectious lung disease. Genome-wide association studies have been used to identify secondary genetic factors that may explain the variable susceptibility to infection by opportunistic pathogens, including P. aeruginosa, the leading cause of pathogen-induced lung damage in nonpediatric CF patients. Once identified...
- Research ArticleEnteroaggregative Escherichia coli Adherence Fimbriae Drive Inflammatory Cell Recruitment via Interactions with Epithelial MUC1
EAEC is a clinically important intestinal pathogen that triggers intestinal inflammation and diarrheal illness via mechanisms that are not yet fully understood. Our findings provide new insight into how EAEC triggers host inflammation and underscores the pivotal role of AAFs—the principal adhesins of EAEC—in driving EAEC-associated disease. Most importantly, our findings add a new dimension to the signaling properties of the...
- Research ArticleCohesive Properties of the Caulobacter crescentus Holdfast Adhesin Are Regulated by a Novel c-di-GMP Effector Protein
Exopolysaccharide (EPS) adhesins are important determinants of bacterial surface colonization and biofilm formation. Biofilms are a major cause of chronic infections and are responsible for biofouling on water-exposed surfaces. To tackle these problems, it is essential to dissect the processes leading to surface colonization at the molecular and cellular levels. Here we describe a novel c-di-GMP effector, HfsK, that contributes to the...