title: Growing Bacillus subtilis tendrils sense and avoid each other.
abstract: Growing tendrils of aflagellate hag mutants of Bacillus subtilis were found to show an avoidance response when colonizing a semi-solid medium, suggesting a tip-to-tip communication mechanism between colonies. There may be a second sensing mechanism involved in shaping the morphology of tendrils. Tendril growth in B. subtilis was dependent on and possibly shaped by the release of surfactin, a biosurfactant. Transposon mutagenesis yielded two mutants with 'touching' tendrils, and each had a disrupted gspA gene that encodes a putative glycosyltransferase. Tendrils of gspA mutants, unlike the parental strain, were unresponsive to tendril tip growth by surfactin, suggesting disruption of intercellular signaling. Tendril sensing and avoidance could be physiologically relevant in habitats, such as plant roots, where some limiting nutrient might induce this type of multicellular behavior, promoting avoidance of previously explored areas by sibling colonies.
authors: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA.
authors: Barry L
authors: BL
authors: James
authors: Jennifer
authors: J
authors: Kret
authors: Joyce E
authors: JE
authors: Patrick
authors: Daniel B
authors: DB
authors: Kearns
authors: Ray
authors: R
authors: Fall
mesh_terms: D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D055666:Lipopeptides / Q000378:metabolism; D016254:Mutagenesis, Insertional; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D055666:Lipopeptides; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic; C090745:global stress protein A, bacteria; C009365:surfactin peptide