Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yvette Roske, Florian Lindemann, Anne Diehl, Nils Cremer, Victoria A. Higman, Brigitte Schlegel, Martina Leidert, Kristina Driller, Kursad Turgay, Peter Schmieder, Udo Heinemann, Hartmut Oschkinat
Summary: Studying bacterial biofilm generation is important for understanding cell-cell communication, cohabitation principles, and antibiotic resistance. Bacillus subtilis biofilms are a model system with potential applications, and their major matrix proteins are TasA and TapA. This study presents the structure of TapA and reveals its role in promoting the growth of nonamyloidic TasA filaments.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Review
Microbiology
Yuxuan Qin, Leticia Lima Angelini, Yunrong Chai
Summary: This minireview discusses cell differentiation in Bacillus subtilis, a soil-dwelling, spore-forming Gram-positive bacterium, and its role in biofilm formation and prevalence in the environment. It provides a comprehensive review of the classic model of endospore formation in B. subtilis, as well as recent investigations on cell fate determination and generation of multiple cell types during biofilm formation. Mechanistic details of how cell fate determination and mutually exclusive cell differentiation are regulated during biofilm formation are also presented.
Article
Microbiology
Yangfu Li, Nuo Chen, Qingping Wu, Xinmin Liang, Xiaoming Yuan, Zhenjun Zhu, Yin Zheng, Shubo Yu, Moutong Chen, Jumei Zhang, Juan Wang, Yu Ding
Summary: This study found that knocking out the flagellar hook encoding gene flgE in emetic Bacillus cereus strains resulted in the loss of flagellar structure and swimming ability, defects in both pellicle and ring formation, and a decrease in cereulide synthesis. This suggests that flagellar components play an important role in biofilm formation and cereulide production in emetic B. cereus.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Christopher Blake, Mathilde Nordgaard Christensen, Akos T. Kovacs
Summary: Bacillus subtilis is a widely studied plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria, with the ability to promote plant growth and control plant pathogens through various mechanisms. Despite extensive recognition and study of its benefits in crop production under laboratory conditions, the success of its application in fields varies greatly due to the inability of the bacteria to persist in the rhizosphere. Successful root colonization is crucial for the interaction between microbe and plant, highlighting the importance of bacterial traits and signaling interplay with the plant for growth promotion and biocontrol effects.
MOLECULAR PLANT-MICROBE INTERACTIONS
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Shanshan Xu, Qianqian Cao, Zengzhi Liu, Junpeng Chen, Peiguang Yan, Bingyu Li, Ying Xu
Summary: Bacillus strains are widely distributed in various environments and have biofilm-formation ability. This study focuses on the biofilm formation in Bacillus subtilis and its regulation by tmRNA. The researchers constructed a ssrA mutant in B. subtilis and found that biofilm formation was impaired. They also identified a biofilm-formation suppressor that restored biofilm formation even stronger than the wild type. By analyzing transcriptomic data, they predicted the functions of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) involved in tmRNA regulation of biofilm formation. Furthermore, they identified two immediate regulators, acoA and yhjR, that could restore biofilm formation in the ssrA mutant.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Vanessa Pereira Perez Alonso, Jessica de Oliveira Morais, Dirce Yorika Kabuki
Summary: The study investigated the diversity of spore-forming bacilli in UHT milk, finding that B. cereus s.s., B. sporothermodurans, and G. stearothermophilus were commonly present in UHT milk and capable of forming biofilms. The data highlights the need for the dairy industry to strengthen control over raw materials and cleaning procedures to prevent the formation of persistent microbial communities.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FOOD MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Yeong Jin Park, Yeon Jin Kim, Hwan Hee Yu, Na-Kyoung Lee, Hyun-Dong Paik
Summary: This study evaluated the anti-biofilm effect of cell-free supernatants (CFS) of Bacillus species against L. monocytogenes and found that B. subtilis KU43 had the most potent anti-biofilm activity.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Angela Maria Catania, Tiziana Civera, Pierluigi Aldo Di Ciccio, Maria Ausilia Grassi, Patrizia Morra, Alessandra Dalmasso
Summary: Processed cheeses from an Italian dairy plant were found to contain Bacillus strains in the initial production hours. Genetic analysis revealed different sequence types for Bacillus cereus strains and identification of a new sequence type for Bacillus subtilis strains. All isolates showed biofilm-forming ability, suggesting the presence of a recurring Bacillus population.
Article
Microbiology
Shirmin Islam, Md Liton Mahmud, Waleed H. Almalki, Suvro Biswas, Md Ariful Islam, Md Golam Mortuza, Mohammad Akbar Hossain, Md Akhtar-E Ekram, Md Salah Uddin, Shahriar Zaman, Md Abu Saleh
Summary: This study investigates the inhibition of biofilm formation in Pseudomonas sp. by compounds from the cell-free supernatant of Bacillus subtilis. It demonstrates that these compounds exhibit strong anti-biofilm activity and provides insights into their mode of action through molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations.
Article
Microbiology
Yifan Fu, Qinggang Guo, Lihong Dong, Xiaomeng Liu, Xiuye Chen, Peipei Wang, Zhenhe Su, Ping Ma
Summary: This study characterizes the regulatory mechanism of the PhoPR two-component system (TCS) in Bacillus subtilis, showing its role in the regulation of fengycin production through the biosynthesis of branched chain amino acids (BCAAs). These findings provide insights into the signaling pathway involved in the phosphate starvation response and the production of antibiotics in bacteria.
MICROBIOLOGICAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Min Qiu, Lianjun Feng, Caijun Zhao, Siyuan Gao, Lijuan Bao, Yihong Zhao, Yunhe Fu, Xiaoyu Hu
Summary: In this study, it was found that commensal Bacillus subtilis inhibited Staphylococcus aureus colonization and alleviated S. aureus-induced mastitis by influencing biofilm formation. The antibiofilm effect of Bacillus subtilis H28 was the most significant, and its treatment showed relief in a mice model of S. aureus-induced mastitis.
FEMS MICROBIOLOGY ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Vasco M. Worlitzer, Ajesh Jose, Ilana Grinberg, Markus Bar, Sebastian Heidenreich, Avigdor Eldar, Gil Ariel, Avraham Be'er
Summary: This study investigates the transition from swarming to biofilm formation in Bacillus subtilis and reveals the roles of both biological and physical processes in facilitating this transition. Individual cells initiate the formation of large aggregates, where cells continue swarming around the aggregates while trapped cells join the biofilm.
Article
Microbiology
Wei Yang, Haixia Yan, Guanghui Dong, Zhengpeng Li, Chunhao Jiang, Dalu Gu, Dongdong Niu, Danni Zhou, Yuming Luo
Summary: This study evaluated the impacts of cadmium on the components, morphology, and function of biofilms of Bacillus subtilis. The results showed that cadmium ion stress led to changes in the biofilm morphology and gene expression. The strain exhibited increased mobility and tolerance to cadmium stress, while also altering the composition of the biofilm and promoting the production of poly-gamma-glutamic acid.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Yu-Chieh Lin, Chun-Yi Wu, Hung-Tse Huang, Mei-Kuang Lu, Wei-Shou Hu, Kung-Ta Lee
Summary: The study found that the culture fluid of Bacillus subtilis natto can effectively inhibit Enterococcus faecalis biofilm formation, improve biofilm structure, and reduce exopolysaccharide synthesis. Furthermore, the culture fluid of Bacillus subtilis natto also downregulates specific genes involved in E. faecalis cell envelope synthesis and biofilm formation through transcriptome sequencing.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
I. C. Engelhardt, D. Patko, Y. Liu, M. Mimault, G. de las Heras Martinez, T. S. George, M. MacDonald, M. Ptashnyk, T. Sukhodub, N. R. Stanley-Wall, N. Holden, T. J. Daniell, L. X. Dupuy
Summary: This study used live microscopy techniques to observe collective movement of B. subtilis bacteria in soil, resembling the behavior of bird flocks or fish schools. Genetic analysis suggests that this movement may be driven by diffusion of extracellular signaling molecules and influenced by physical obstacles and hydrodynamics in the soil environment.
Letter
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Minhui Wang, Lei Wu, Yuzhen Mei, Youfu Zhao, Zhonghua Ma, Xu Zhang, Yun Chen
PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL
(2020)
Article
Microbiology
Ahai Chen, Zhenzhen Ju, Jinli Wang, Jing Wang, Hongkai Wang, Jiayu Wu, Yanni Yin, Youfu Zhao, Zhonghua Ma, Yun Chen
ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Agronomy
Weitao Fu, Ningjie Wu, Di Ke, Yun Chen, Tianming Xu, Guangfei Tang
PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE
(2020)
Article
Microbiology
Qianxuan She, Evan Hunter, Yuxuan Qin, Samantha Nicolau, Eliza A. Zalis, Hongkai Wang, Yun Chen, Yunrong Chai
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yunqing Jian, Zunyong Liu, Haixia Wang, Yun Chen, Yanni Yin, Youfu Zhao, Zhonghua Ma
Summary: In this study, Jian et al. identified two transcriptional regulators in the phytopathogen Fusarium graminearum that control the nitrosative stress response by modulating the recruitment of a chromatin-remodelling complex at the promoters of the response genes.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Minhui Wang, Tianling Ma, Haixia Wang, Jianzhao Liu, Yun Chen, Won Bo Shim, Zhonghua Ma
Summary: FgRbp1 is a RNA binding protein in Fusarium graminearum, whose deletion results in reduced splicing efficiency of intron-containing gene transcripts involved in various cellular processes. Through interaction with FgU2AF23, FgRbp1 regulates pre-mRNA splicing in a sequence-dependent manner in the fungus.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Review
Microbiology
Jing Wang, Chao Liu, Yun Chen, Youfu Zhao, Zhonghua Ma
Summary: This review summarizes the roles of protein acetylation and deacetylation in plants and their pathogens, highlighting their importance in plant-pathogen interactions and potential applications for controlling plant diseases.
ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Na Liu, Jing Wang, Yingzi Yun, Jinli Wang, Chaoyun Xu, Siqi Wu, Luona Xu, Baohua Li, Ilana Kolodkin-Gal, Dawood H. Dawood, Youfu Zhao, Zhonghua Ma, Yun Chen
Summary: The study revealed the critical role of the FgCot1-Mob2 complex in polarity, fungal development, cell wall organization, lipid metabolism, and virulence in Fusarium graminearum.
ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Jing Wang, Chaoyun Xu, Qiming Sun, Jinrong Xu, Yunrong Chai, Gabriele Berg, Tomislav Cernava, Zhonghua Ma, Yun Chen
Summary: In this study, antagonistic interactions between the fungus Fusarium graminearum and bacterium Streptomyces hygroscopicus were explored at the molecular level. Streptomyces altered the fungal acetylome, leading to induction of fungal autophagy, with the mechanism involving rapamycin secretion inhibiting TOR and degrading Gcn5, ultimately reducing Atg8 acetylation and promoting autophagy in F. graminearum. This novel post-translational regulation of autophagy initiated by a bacterial antibiotic provides insights into microbial homeostasis in healthy plant microbiomes and offers new possibilities for controlling pathogens.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Guangfei Tang, Jianlong Yuan, Jing Wang, Yi-Zhe Zhang, Si-Si Xie, Hongkai Wang, Zeng Tao, Huiquan Liu, H. Corby Kistler, Youfu Zhao, Cheng-Guo Duan, Wende Liu, Zhonghua Ma, Yun Chen
Summary: In the cereal fungal pathogen Fusarium graminearum, the BAH-PHD domain-containing protein BP1 serves as a reader of H3K27 methylation and interacts with core PRC2 component Suz12. BP1 can directly bind DNA through its PHD finger, reinforcing transcriptional repression in H3K27me3-marked target regions. Therefore, BP1 plays a role in mediating gene repression in fungi, distinct from the PRC1-PRC2 system in plants and mammals.
NUCLEIC ACIDS RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Sunde Xu, Yong-Xin Liu, Tomislav Cernava, Hongkai Wang, Yaqi Zhou, Tie Xia, Shugeng Cao, Gabriele Berg, Xing-Xing Shen, Ziyue Wen, Chunshun Li, Baoyuan Qu, Hefei Ruan, Yunrong Chai, Xueping Zhou, Zhonghua Ma, Yan Shi, Yunlong Yu, Yang Bai, Yun Chen
Summary: This study identified the bacterial microbiome associated with fungal fruiting bodies and discovered an effective bacterium, Pantoea agglomerans ZJU23, that suppresses fungal growth and infection. The study also identified a key antifungal compound, Herbicolin A, secreted by ZJU23, and determined its biosynthetic gene cluster. Herbicolin A demonstrated potent efficacy against various fungal pathogens both in vitro and in planta, and showed a distinct mode of action. Additionally, Herbicolin A exhibited higher activity against human opportunistic fungal pathogens than clinically used fungicides.
NATURE MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Qin Gu, Yujie Wang, Xiaozhen Zhao, Bingqin Yuan, Mengxuan Zhang, Zheng Tan, Xinyue Zhang, Yun Chen, Huijun Wu, Yuming Luo, Nancy P. Keller, Xuewen Gao, Zhonghua Ma
Summary: This study uncovers a novel inhibitory mechanism regulated by a transcription factor that enables a fungal pathogen to adapt to high-iron stress derived from the host during infection.
NUCLEIC ACIDS RESEARCH
(2022)
Editorial Material
Microbiology
Yun Chen, Ilana Kolodkin-Gal
Article
Plant Sciences
Chaoyun Xu, Jing Wang, Yueqi Zhang, Yuming Luo, Youfu Zhao, Yun Chen, Zhonghua Ma
Summary: This study uncovers a novel regulatory mechanism of a transcription factor, which recruits and interacts with the SAGA complex to activate specific gene expression in pathogenic fungi.
Article
Microbiology
Ahai Chen, Yifan Zhou, Yiyi Ren, Chao Liu, Xingmin Han, Jing Wang, Zhonghua Ma, Yun Chen
Summary: In this study, it was found that E3 ligase Tom1 and deubiquitinating enzyme Ubp14 regulated the ubiquitination and deubiquitination of Gcn5, respectively, in the important plant pathogenic fungus Fusarium graminearum. This finding highlights the important role of the Tom1-Gcn5-Ubp14 circuit in fungal virulence.