D-amino acids trigger biofilm disassembly.
Bacteria form communities known as biofilms, which disassemble over time. In our studies outlined here, we found that, before biofilm disassembly, Bacillus subtilis produced a factor that prevented biofilm formation and could break down existing biofilms. The factor was shown to be a mixture of D-leucine, D-methionine, D-tyrosine, and D-tryptophan that could act at nanomolar concentrations. D-amino acid treatment caused the release of amyloid fibers that linked cells in the biofilm together. Mutants able to form biofilms in the presence of D-amino acids contained alterations in a protein (YqxM) required for the formation and anchoring of the fibers to the cell. D-amino acids also prevented biofilm formation by Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. D-amino acids are produced by many bacteria and, thus, may be a widespread signal for biofilm disassembly.
Kolodkin-Gal
Ilana
I
Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
Romero
Diego
D
Cao
Shugeng
S
Clardy
Jon
J
Kolter
Roberto
R
Losick
Richard
R
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000502:physiology*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D018441:Biofilms / Q000254:growth & development; D002473:Cell Wall; D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D007930:Leucine / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D008715:Methionine / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000502:physiology; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000502:physiology; D013237:Stereoisomerism; D014364:Tryptophan / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D014443:Tyrosine / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology
D000596:Amino Acids; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned; C119938:TasA protein, Bacillus subtilis; D014443:Tyrosine; D014364:Tryptophan; D008715:Methionine; D007930:Leucine