Cyclic diguanylate regulation of Bacillus cereus group biofilm formation.
Biofilm formation can be considered a bacterial virulence mechanism. In a range of Gram-negatives, increased levels of the second messenger cyclic diguanylate (c-di-GMP) promotes biofilm formation and reduces motility. Other bacterial processes known to be regulated by c-di-GMP include cell division, differentiation and virulence. Among Gram-positive bacteria, where the function of c-di-GMP signalling is less well characterized, c-di-GMP was reported to regulate swarming motility in Bacillus subtilis while having very limited or no effect on biofilm formation. In contrast, we show that in the Bacillus cereus group c-di-GMP signalling is linked to biofilm formation, and to several other phenotypes important to the lifestyle of these bacteria. The Bacillus thuringiensis 407 genome encodes eleven predicted proteins containing domains (GGDEF/EAL) related to c-di-GMP synthesis or breakdown, ten of which are conserved through the majority of clades of the B. cereus group, including Bacillus anthracis. Several of the genes were shown to affect biofilm formation, motility, enterotoxin synthesis and/or sporulation. Among these, cdgF appeared to encode a master diguanylate cyclase essential for biofilm formation in an oxygenated environment. Only two cdg genes (cdgA, cdgJ) had orthologs in B. subtilis, highlighting differences in c-di-GMP signalling between B. subtilis and B. cereus group bacteria.
Laboratory for Microbial Dynamics (LaMDa), Section for Pharmaceutical Biosciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Oslo, PB1068, Oslo, 0316, Norway.
Annette
A
Fagerlund
Laboratory for Microbial Dynamics (LaMDa), Section for Pharmaceutical Biosciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Oslo, PB1068, Oslo, 0316, Norway.|Centre for Integrative Microbial Evolution (CIME), Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, 0316, Norway.
Veronika
V
Smith
Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, PB1066, Oslo, 0316, Norway.
Åsmund K
ÅK
Røhr
Department of Food Safety and Infection Biology, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, PB8146 Dep, Oslo, 0033, Norway.
Toril
T
Lindbäck
Bioanalytics, Section for Pharmaceutical Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, University of Oslo, PB1068, Oslo, 0316, Norway.
Marthe P
MP
Parmer
Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, PB1066, Oslo, 0316, Norway.
K Kristoffer
KK
Andersson
Bioanalytics, Section for Pharmaceutical Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, University of Oslo, PB1068, Oslo, 0316, Norway.
Leon
L
Reubsaet
Laboratory for Microbial Dynamics (LaMDa), Section for Pharmaceutical Biosciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Oslo, PB1068, Oslo, 0316, Norway.|Centre for Integrative Microbial Evolution (CIME), Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, 0316, Norway.
Ole Andreas
OA
Økstad
D001409:Bacillus cereus / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018441:Biofilms / Q000254:growth & development*; D006152:Cyclic GMP / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D017353:Gene Deletion; D019761:Phosphorus-Oxygen Lyases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015290:Second Messenger Systems
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; C062025:bis(3',5')-cyclic diguanylic acid; D019761:Phosphorus-Oxygen Lyases; C060720:diguanylate cyclase; D006152:Cyclic GMP