Projects per year
Abstract
Biofilm formation by the Gram-positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis is tightly controlled at the level of transcription. The biofilm contains specialised cell types that arise from controlled differentiation of the resident isogenic bacteria. DegU is a response regulator that controls several social behaviours exhibited by B. subtilis including swarming motility, biofilm formation and extracellular protease (exoprotease) production. Here, for the first time, we examine the prevalence and origin of exoprotease-producing cells within the biofilm. This was accomplished using single-cell analysis techniques including flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy. We established that the number of exoprotease- producing cells increases in prevalence as the biofilm matures. This is reflected by both an increase at the level of transcription and an increase in extracellular protease activity over time. We go on to demonstrate that exoprotease- producing cells arise from more than one cell type; namely matrix-producing and non-matrix producing cells. In toto these findings allow us to add exoprotease-producing cells to the list of specialised cell types that are derived during B. subtilis biofilm formation and furthermore the data highlights the plasticity in the origin of differentiated cells.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 56-66 |
Number of pages | 11 |
Journal | Microbiology |
Volume | 160 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Jan 2014 |
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Dive into the research topics of 'The prevalence and origin of exoprotease-producing cells in the Bacillus subtilis biofilm'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.Projects
- 2 Finished
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The Open Microscopy Environment: Image Informatics for Biological Sciences (Joint with Imperial College, Oxford University, Institut Pasteur, Carnegie-Mellon University, University of Wisconsin, Harvard Medical School & University of Edinburgh)
Swedlow, J. (Investigator)
1/10/11 → 30/09/16
Project: Research
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Aref#d: 21680. The Flagellum and Cell Fate Differentiation
Stanley-Wall, N. (Investigator) & Swedlow, J. (Investigator)
12/04/10 → 11/04/13
Project: Research
Student theses
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Quantitative Characterisation of Morphological and Phenotypic Changes During Microbial Cell Differentiation and Multicellular Behaviour
Porter, M. (Author), Stanley-Wall, N. (Supervisor) & Swedlow, J. (Supervisor), 2020Student thesis: Doctoral Thesis › Doctor of Philosophy
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