title: HmsB enhances biofilm formation in Yersinia pestis.
abstract: The hmsHFRS operon is responsible for biosynthesis and translocation of biofilm matrix exopolysaccharide. Yersinia pestis expresses the two sole diguanylate cyclases HmsT and HmsD and the sole phosphodiesterase HmsP, which are specific for biosynthesis and degradation, respectively, of 3',5'-cyclic diguanosine monophosphate (c-di-GMP), a second messenger promoting exopolysaccharide production. In this work, the phenotypic assays indicates that Y. pestis sRNA HmsB enhances the production of c-di-GMP, exopolysaccharide, and biofilm. Further gene regulation experiments disclose that HmsB stimulates the expression of hmsB, hmsCDE, hmsT, and hmsHFRS but represses that of hmsP. HmsB most likely acts as a major activator of biofilm formation in Y. pestis. This is the first report of regulation of Yersinia biofilm formation by a sRNA. Data presented here will promote us to gain a deeper understanding of the complex regulatory circuits controlling Yersinia biofilm formation.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Nan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Shi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Qu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Huiying
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Haihong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Yiquan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Yanping
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Dongsheng
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Ruifu
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yang
keywords: HmsB; Yersinia pestis; biofilm; c-di-GMP