title: Bacterial determinants of the social behavior of Bacillus subtilis.
abstract: Bacteria utilize sophisticated cellular machinery to sense environmental changes and coordinate the most appropriate response. Fine sensors located on cell surfaces recognize a myriad of triggers and initiate genetic cascades leading to activation or repression of certain groups of genes. Structural elements such as pilli, exopolysaccharides and flagella are also exposed at the cell surface and contribute to modulating the intimate interaction with surfaces and host cells. This review will cover the latest advances in our understanding of the biology and functionality of these bacterial determinants within the context of biofilm formation of Bacillus subtilis.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Hortofruticultura Subtropical y Mediterránea La Mayora (IHSM-UMA-CSIC), Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Málaga, 29071 Málaga, Spain. diego_romero@uma.es
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Romero
mesh_terms: D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018441:Biofilms; D010861:Fimbriae, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D005407:Flagella / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins
keywords: Bacillus; Biofilms; Cell-to cell communication; Extracellular matrix; Functional amyloids