Structurally diverse natural products that cause potassium leakage trigger multicellularity in Bacillus subtilis.
We report a previously undescribed quorum-sensing mechanism for triggering multicellularity in Bacillus subtilis. B. subtilis forms communities of cells known as biofilms in response to an unknown signal. We discovered that biofilm formation is stimulated by a variety of small molecules produced by bacteria--including the B. subtilis nonribosomal peptide surfactin--that share the ability to induce potassium leakage. Natural products that do not cause potassium leakage failed to induce multicellularity. Small-molecule-induced multicellularity was prevented by the addition of potassium, but not sodium or lithium. Evidence is presented that potassium leakage stimulates the activity of a membrane protein kinase, KinC, which governs the expression of genes involved in biofilm formation. We propose that KinC responds to lowered intracellular potassium concentration and that this is a quorum-sensing mechanism that enables B. subtilis to respond to related and unrelated bacteria.
López
Daniel
D
Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
Fischbach
Michael A
MA
Chu
Frances
F
Losick
Richard
R
Kolter
Roberto
R
D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000166:cytology* / Q000201:enzymology; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D018441:Biofilms / Q000254:growth & development*; D001688:Biological Products; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D011188:Potassium / Q000378:metabolism; D011494:Protein Kinases / Q000502:physiology*; D053038:Quorum Sensing
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001688:Biological Products; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D011494:Protein Kinases; D011188:Potassium