title: Deletion of penicillin-binding protein 1b impairs biofilm formation and motility in Escherichia coli.
abstract: The major bifunctional transpeptidases/transglycosylases of Escherichia coli, penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs) 1a and 1b, were evaluated for their influence on biofilm formation. While the PBP1a mutant was unaffected, the PBP1b mutant exhibited significantly decreased biofilm formation and motility. Interestingly, the extracellular indole concentration was higher in the PBP1b mutant, and similar phenotypic defects were replicated in the wild-type upon addition of exogenous indole. Expression of PBP1b in trans substantially decreased indole production and restored normal phenotypes. Results further suggest that rpoS deletion has a counteracting effect on the mrcB mutant. These findings indicate that PBP1b deletion influences biofilm formation and motility, possibly through indole.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, West Bengal 721302, India. akash.cosm@gmail.com
authors.forename: Akash
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: Sujoy K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Sarkar
authors.forename: Dipankar
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ghosh
authors.forename: Anindya S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Ghosh
mesh_terms: D018441:Biofilms; D015536:Down-Regulation; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D017353:Gene Deletion; D046915:Penicillin-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D046928:Peptidoglycan Glycosyltransferase / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D017384:Sequence Deletion; D046929:Serine-Type D-Ala-D-Ala Carboxypeptidase / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D046915:Penicillin-Binding Proteins; D046928:Peptidoglycan Glycosyltransferase; C575488:penicillin-binding protein 1A, E coli; C478681:penicillin-binding protein 1B, E coli; D046929:Serine-Type D-Ala-D-Ala Carboxypeptidase