title: Transcriptional regulation of adhesive properties of Bacillus subtilis to extracellular matrix proteins through the fibronectin-binding protein YloA.
abstract: Bacterial adherence to extracellular matrix proteins (ECMp) plays important roles during host-pathogen interaction, however its genetic regulation remains poorly understood. yloA of the model bacterium Bacillus subtilis shows high homology to genes encoding fibronectin-binding proteins of Gram-positive pathogens. Here, we characterized the regulatory network of YloA-dependent adhesive properties of the probiotic B. subtilis natto (Bsn). YloA-proficient, but not YloA-deficient, Bsn specifically bound to ECMp in a concentration-dependent manner and were proficient in biofilm formation. yloA expression showed a continuous increase in activity during the growth phase and decreased during the stationary phase. The transcription factors AbrB and DegU downregulated yloA expression during the logarithmic and stationary growth phases respectively. Analysis of the yloA promoter region revealed the presence of AT-rich direct and inverted repeats previously reported to function as DegU-recognized binding sites. In spo0A cells, yloA expression was completely turned off because of upregulation of AbrB throughout growth. Accordingly, DNase I footprinting analysis confirmed that AbrB bound to the promoter region of yloA. Interestingly, Bsn bound fibronectin with higher affinity, lower Kd, than several bacterial pathogens and competitively excluded them from binding to immobilized-fibronectin, a finding that might be important for the anti-infective properties of B. subtilis and its relatives.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Microbiología, Área Microbiología Básica, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, CONICET - Rosario, Rosario, Argentina.
authors.forename: Facundo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rodriguez Ayala
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Microbiología, Área Microbiología Básica, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, CONICET - Rosario, Rosario, Argentina.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bauman
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Microbiología, Área Microbiología Básica, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, CONICET - Rosario, Rosario, Argentina.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bartolini
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica, Área Inmunología, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina.
authors.forename: Ester
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Saball
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica, Área Inmunología, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina.
authors.forename: Marcela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salvarrey
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Microbiología, Área Microbiología Básica, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, CONICET - Rosario, Rosario, Argentina.
authors.forename: Cecilia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Leñini
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Microbiología, Área Microbiología Básica, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, CONICET - Rosario, Rosario, Argentina.
authors.forename: Sebastián
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cogliati
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Sciences Department, Dental School, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Strauch
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Microbiología, Área Microbiología Básica, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, CONICET - Rosario, Rosario, Argentina.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6496-3696
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Grau
mesh_terms: D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion / Q000502:physiology; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D001483:Base Sequence; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D005353:Fibronectins / Q000378:metabolism*; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D006801:Humans; D010802:Phylogeny; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D050436:Regulatory Elements, Transcriptional; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins; D005353:Fibronectins; D014157:Transcription Factors