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Trends in Microbiology Jun 2008Bacillus subtilis is a remarkably diverse bacterial species that is capable of growth within many environments. Recent microarray-based comparative genomic analyses have... (Review)
Review
Bacillus subtilis is a remarkably diverse bacterial species that is capable of growth within many environments. Recent microarray-based comparative genomic analyses have revealed that members of this species also exhibit considerable genomic diversity. The identification of strain-specific genes might explain how B. subtilis has become so broadly adapted. The goal of identifying ecologically adaptive genes could soon be realized with the imminent release of several new B. subtilis genome sequences. As we embark upon this exciting new era of B. subtilis comparative genomics we review what is currently known about the ecology and evolution of this species.
Topics: Bacillus subtilis; Bacterial Proteins; Ecology; Genome, Bacterial; Genomics; Nucleic Acid Hybridization; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; Species Specificity
PubMed: 18467096
DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2008.03.004 -
Biological Chemistry Nov 2020
Topics: Bacillus subtilis; Escherichia coli; Humans
PubMed: 32918804
DOI: 10.1515/hsz-2020-0229 -
Current Opinion in Microbiology Dec 2011Bacillus subtilis regulates its ability to differentiate into distinct, co-existing cell types in response to extracellular signaling molecules produced either by... (Review)
Review
Bacillus subtilis regulates its ability to differentiate into distinct, co-existing cell types in response to extracellular signaling molecules produced either by itself, or present in its environment. The production of molecules by B. subtilis cells, as well as their response to these signals, is not uniform across the population. There is specificity and heterogeneity both within genetically identical populations as well as at the strain-level and species-level. This review will discuss how extracellular signaling compounds influence B. subtilis multicellularity with regard to matrix-producing cannibal differentiation, germination, and swarming behavior, as well as the specificity of the quorum-sensing peptides ComX and CSF. It will also highlight how imaging mass spectrometry can aid in identifying signaling compounds and contribute to our understanding of the functional relationship between such compounds and multicellular behavior.
Topics: Bacillus subtilis; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; Metabolic Networks and Pathways; Quorum Sensing; Signal Transduction
PubMed: 22024380
DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2011.09.016 -
Nature Reviews. Microbiology Jan 2013Sporulation in Bacillus subtilis involves an asymmetric cell division followed by differentiation into two cell types, the endospore and the mother cell. The endospore... (Review)
Review
Sporulation in Bacillus subtilis involves an asymmetric cell division followed by differentiation into two cell types, the endospore and the mother cell. The endospore coat is a multilayered shell that protects the bacterial genome during stress conditions and is composed of dozens of proteins. Recently, fluorescence microscopy coupled with high-resolution image analysis has been applied to the dynamic process of coat assembly and has shown that the coat is organized into at least four distinct layers. In this Review, we provide a brief summary of B. subtilis sporulation, describe the function of the spore surface layers and discuss the recent progress that has improved our understanding of the structure of the endospore coat and the mechanisms of coat assembly.
Topics: Bacillus subtilis; Bacterial Proteins; Cell Division; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; Microscopy, Fluorescence; Models, Biological; Protein Multimerization; Spores, Bacterial
PubMed: 23202530
DOI: 10.1038/nrmicro2921 -
Molecular Microbiology Dec 2018Here, we review the multiple mechanisms that the Gram-positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis uses to allow it to communicate between cells and establish community... (Review)
Review
Here, we review the multiple mechanisms that the Gram-positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis uses to allow it to communicate between cells and establish community structures. The modes of action that are used are highly varied and include routes that sense pheromone levels during quorum sensing and control gene regulation, the intimate coupling of cells via nanotubes to share cytoplasmic contents, and long-range electrical signalling to couple metabolic processes both within and between biofilms. We explore the ability of B. subtilis to detect 'kin' (and 'cheater cells') by looking at the mechanisms used to potentially ensure beneficial sharing (or limit exploitation) of extracellular 'public goods'. Finally, reflecting on the array of methods that a single bacterium has at its disposal to ensure maximal benefit for its progeny, we highlight that a large future challenge will be integrating how these systems interact in mixed-species communities.
Topics: Bacillus subtilis; Bacterial Proteins; Biofilms; Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; Quorum Sensing; Signal Transduction
PubMed: 30218468
DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14127 -
Transcription Aug 2021The low G + C Gram-positive bacteria represent some of the most medically and industrially important microorganisms. They are relied on for the production of food and... (Review)
Review
The low G + C Gram-positive bacteria represent some of the most medically and industrially important microorganisms. They are relied on for the production of food and dietary supplements, enzymes and antibiotics, as well as being responsible for the majority of nosocomial infections and serving as a reservoir for antibiotic resistance. Control of gene expression in this group is more highly studied than in any bacteria other than the Gram-negative model Escherichia coli, yet until recently no structural information on RNA polymerase (RNAP) from this group was available. This review will summarize recent reports on the high-resolution structure of RNAP from the model low G + C representative Bacillus subtilis, including the role of auxiliary subunits and , and outline approaches for the development of antimicrobials to target RNAP from this group.
Topics: Bacillus subtilis; Bacterial Proteins; DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases; Gram-Positive Bacteria; Transcription, Genetic
PubMed: 34403307
DOI: 10.1080/21541264.2021.1964328 -
Environmental Microbiology Mar 2015Biofilms are the predominant lifestyle of bacteria in natural environments, and they severely impact our societies in many different fashions. Therefore, biofilm... (Review)
Review
Biofilms are the predominant lifestyle of bacteria in natural environments, and they severely impact our societies in many different fashions. Therefore, biofilm formation is a topic of growing interest in microbiology, and different bacterial models are currently studied to better understand the molecular strategies that bacteria undergo to build biofilms. Among those, biofilms of the soil-dwelling bacterium Bacillus subtilis are commonly used for this purpose. Bacillus subtilis biofilms show remarkable architectural features that are a consequence of sophisticated programmes of cellular specialization and cell-cell communication within the community. Many laboratories are trying to unravel the biological role of the morphological features of biofilms, as well as exploring the molecular basis underlying cellular differentiation. In this review, we present a general perspective of the current state of knowledge of biofilm formation in B. subtilis and thereby placing a special emphasis on summarizing the most recent discoveries in the field.
Topics: Bacillus subtilis; Biofilms; Signal Transduction
PubMed: 24909922
DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.12527 -
Microbiology and Molecular Biology... Sep 2012From microbes to multicellular eukaryotic organisms, all cells contain pathways responsible for genome maintenance. DNA replication allows for the faithful duplication... (Review)
Review
From microbes to multicellular eukaryotic organisms, all cells contain pathways responsible for genome maintenance. DNA replication allows for the faithful duplication of the genome, whereas DNA repair pathways preserve DNA integrity in response to damage originating from endogenous and exogenous sources. The basic pathways important for DNA replication and repair are often conserved throughout biology. In bacteria, high-fidelity repair is balanced with low-fidelity repair and mutagenesis. Such a balance is important for maintaining viability while providing an opportunity for the advantageous selection of mutations when faced with a changing environment. Over the last decade, studies of DNA repair pathways in bacteria have demonstrated considerable differences between Gram-positive and Gram-negative organisms. Here we review and discuss the DNA repair, genome maintenance, and DNA damage checkpoint pathways of the Gram-positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis. We present their molecular mechanisms and compare the functions and regulation of several pathways with known information on other organisms. We also discuss DNA repair during different growth phases and the developmental program of sporulation. In summary, we present a review of the function, regulation, and molecular mechanisms of DNA repair and mutagenesis in Gram-positive bacteria, with a strong emphasis on B. subtilis.
Topics: Bacillus subtilis; DNA Damage; DNA Repair; DNA Replication; Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; Genome, Bacterial; Mutagenesis; Spores, Bacterial
PubMed: 22933559
DOI: 10.1128/MMBR.05020-11 -
Journal of Bacteriology Oct 2021Bacterial specialized (or secondary) metabolites are structurally diverse molecules that mediate intra- and interspecies interactions by altering growth and cellular...
Bacterial specialized (or secondary) metabolites are structurally diverse molecules that mediate intra- and interspecies interactions by altering growth and cellular physiology and differentiation. Bacillus subtilis, a Gram-positive model bacterium commonly used to study biofilm formation and sporulation, has the capacity to produce more than 10 specialized metabolites. Some of these B. subtilis specialized metabolites have been investigated for their role in facilitating cellular differentiation, but only rarely has the behavior of multiple metabolites been simultaneously investigated. In this study, we explored the interconnectivity of differentiation (biofilm and sporulation) and specialized metabolites in B. subtilis. Specifically, we interrogated how development influences specialized metabolites and vice versa. Using the sporulation-inducing medium DSM, we found that the majority of the specialized metabolites examined are expressed and produced during biofilm formation and sporulation. Additionally, we found that six of these metabolites (surfactin, ComX, bacillibactin, bacilysin, subtilosin A, and plipastatin) are necessary signaling molecules for proper progression of B. subtilis differentiation. This study further supports the growing body of work demonstrating that specialized metabolites have essential physiological functions as cell-cell communication signals in bacteria. Bacterially produced specialized metabolites are frequently studied for their potential use as antibiotics and antifungals. However, a growing body of work has suggested that the antagonistic potential of specialized metabolites is not their only function. Here, using Bacillus subtilis as our model bacterium, we demonstrated that developmental processes such as biofilm formation and sporulation are tightly linked to specialized metabolite gene expression and production. Additionally, under our differentiation-inducing conditions, six out of the nine specialized metabolites investigated behave as intraspecific signals that impact B. subtilis physiology and influence biofilm formation and sporulation. Our work supports the viewpoint that specialized metabolites have a clear role as cell-cell signaling molecules within differentiated populations of bacteria.
Topics: Bacillus subtilis; Bacterial Proteins; Biofilms; Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; Signal Transduction; Spores, Bacterial
PubMed: 34460312
DOI: 10.1128/JB.00337-21 -
Molecular Biology and Evolution Jan 2021Correspondence between evolution and development has been discussed for more than two centuries. Recent work reveals that phylogeny-ontogeny correlations are indeed...
Correspondence between evolution and development has been discussed for more than two centuries. Recent work reveals that phylogeny-ontogeny correlations are indeed present in developmental transcriptomes of eukaryotic clades with complex multicellularity. Nevertheless, it has been largely ignored that the pervasive presence of phylogeny-ontogeny correlations is a hallmark of development in eukaryotes. This perspective opens a possibility to look for similar parallelisms in biological settings where developmental logic and multicellular complexity are more obscure. For instance, it has been increasingly recognized that multicellular behavior underlies biofilm formation in bacteria. However, it remains unclear whether bacterial biofilm growth shares some basic principles with development in complex eukaryotes. Here we show that the ontogeny of growing Bacillus subtilis biofilms recapitulates phylogeny at the expression level. Using time-resolved transcriptome and proteome profiles, we found that biofilm ontogeny correlates with the evolutionary measures, in a way that evolutionary younger and more diverged genes were increasingly expressed toward later timepoints of biofilm growth. Molecular and morphological signatures also revealed that biofilm growth is highly regulated and organized into discrete ontogenetic stages, analogous to those of eukaryotic embryos. Together, this suggests that biofilm formation in Bacillus is a bona fide developmental process comparable to organismal development in animals, plants, and fungi. Given that most cells on Earth reside in the form of biofilms and that biofilms represent the oldest known fossils, we anticipate that the widely adopted vision of the first life as a single-cell and free-living organism needs rethinking.
Topics: Bacillus subtilis; Biofilms; Biological Evolution
PubMed: 32871001
DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msaa217