Biofilm formation

Biofilms are the result of the multicellular lifestyle of B. subtilis. They are characterized by the formation of a matrix polysaccharide (poly-N-acetyl glucosamine as a major polysaccharide PubMed) and an amyloid-like protein, TasA. Correction of sfp, epsC, swrAA, and degQ as well as introduction of rapP from a plasmid present in NCIB3610 results in biofilm formation in B. subtilis 168 PubMed.

Parent categories	4. Lifestyles 4.1. Exponential and early post-exponential lifestyles
Neighbouring categories	4.1.1. Motility and chemotaxis 4.1.2. Swarming 4.1.3. Sliding 4.1.4. Biofilm formation 4.1.5. Genetic competence
Related categories	SinR regulon
Overview on the categories (Excel file) All genes and their categories (Excel file)

Labs working on biofilm formation

• Roberto Grau
• Daniel Kearns
• Roberto Kolter
• Akos T Kovacs
• Oscar Kuipers
• Beth Lazazzera
• Richard Losick
• Nicola Stanley-Wall
• Jörg Stülke

Key genes and operons involved in biofilm formation

• matrix polysaccharide synthesis PubMed:
  • epsA-epsB-epsC-epsD-epsE-epsF-epsG-epsH-epsI-epsJ-epsK-epsL-epsM-epsN-epsO
  • galE
• amyloid protein synthesis, secretion and assembly
  • tapA-sipW-tasA
• repellent surface layer
  • bslA
• regulation
  • SlrR
  • SlrA
  • SinR
  • SinI
  • KinC
  • KinD
  • Spo0A
  • PtkA
  • TkmA
  • PtpZ
  • DegU
  • DegQ
  • YmdB
  • FtsH
  • Veg
  • MstX
  • YugO

• other proteins required for biofilm formation
  • AmpS
  • FloT
  • LuxS
  • RemA
  • RemB
  • Rny
  • Sfp/1
  • Sfp/2
  • SpeA
  • SpeD
  • SwrAA
  • YisP
  • YlbF
  • YmcA
  • YvcA
  • YwcC
  • YxaB

• other proteins required for efficient pellicle biofilm formation (mutant is out-competed by wild type)
  • Hag
  • FlgE
  • FliF
  • MotA
  • SigD
  • CheA
  • CheY
  • CheD
  • CheV
  • HemAT

Key reviews

Jordi van Gestel, Hera Vlamakis, Roberto Kolter
Division of Labor in Biofilms: the Ecology of Cell Differentiation.
Microbiol Spectr: 2015, 3(2);MB-0002-2014
[PubMed:26104716] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I p)

Laura Hobley, Catriona Harkins, Cait E MacPhee, Nicola R Stanley-Wall
Giving structure to the biofilm matrix: an overview of individual strategies and emerging common themes.
FEMS Microbiol Rev: 2015, 39(5);649-69
[PubMed:25907113] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I p)

Lynne S Cairns, Laura Hobley, Nicola R Stanley-Wall
Biofilm formation by Bacillus subtilis: new insights into regulatory strategies and assembly mechanisms.
Mol Microbiol: 2014, 93(4);587-98
[PubMed:24988880] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I p)

Benjamin Mielich-Süss, Daniel Lopez
Molecular mechanisms involved in Bacillus subtilis biofilm formation.
Environ Microbiol: 2015, 17(3);555-65
[PubMed:24909922] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I p)

Eisha Mhatre, Ramses Gallegos Monterrosa, Akos T Kovács
From environmental signals to regulators: modulation of biofilm development in Gram-positive bacteria.
J Basic Microbiol: 2014, 54(7);616-32
[PubMed:24771632] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I p)

Dennis Claessen, Daniel E Rozen, Oscar P Kuipers, Lotte Søgaard-Andersen, Gilles P van Wezel
Bacterial solutions to multicellularity: a tale of biofilms, filaments and fruiting bodies.
Nat Rev Microbiol: 2014, 12(2);115-24
[PubMed:24384602] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I p)

Robert Belas
When the swimming gets tough, the tough form a biofilm.
Mol Microbiol: 2013, 90(1);1-5
[PubMed:23927648] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I p)

Diego Romero
Bacterial determinants of the social behavior of Bacillus subtilis.
Res Microbiol: 2013, 164(7);788-98
[PubMed:23791621] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I p)

Hera Vlamakis, Yunrong Chai, Pascale Beauregard, Richard Losick, Roberto Kolter
Sticking together: building a biofilm the Bacillus subtilis way.
Nat Rev Microbiol: 2013, 11(3);157-68
[PubMed:23353768] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I p)

Elizabeth Anne Shank, Roberto Kolter
Extracellular signaling and multicellularity in Bacillus subtilis.
Curr Opin Microbiol: 2011, 14(6);741-7
[PubMed:22024380] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I p)

Tjakko Abee, Akos T Kovács, Oscar P Kuipers, Stijn van der Veen
Biofilm formation and dispersal in Gram-positive bacteria.
Curr Opin Biotechnol: 2011, 22(2);172-9
[PubMed:21109420] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I p)

Roberto Kolter
Biofilms in lab and nature: a molecular geneticist's voyage to microbial ecology.
Int Microbiol: 2010, 13(1);1-7
[PubMed:20890834] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I p)

Massimiliano Marvasi, Pieter T Visscher, Lilliam Casillas Martinez
Exopolymeric substances (EPS) from Bacillus subtilis: polymers and genes encoding their synthesis.
FEMS Microbiol Lett: 2010, 313(1);1-9
[PubMed:20735481] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I p)

Daniel López, Hera Vlamakis, Roberto Kolter
Biofilms.
Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol: 2010, 2(7);a000398
[PubMed:20519345] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (I p)

Daniel Lopez, Hera Vlamakis, Roberto Kolter
Generation of multiple cell types in Bacillus subtilis.
FEMS Microbiol Rev: 2009, 33(1);152-63
[PubMed:19054118] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)

Hera Vlamakis, Claudio Aguilar, Richard Losick, Roberto Kolter
Control of cell fate by the formation of an architecturally complex bacterial community.
Genes Dev: 2008, 22(7);945-53
[PubMed:18381896] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)

Wolf-Rainer Abraham
Controlling biofilms of gram-positive pathogenic bacteria.
Curr Med Chem: 2006, 13(13);1509-24
[PubMed:16787201] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)

J A Shapiro
Thinking about bacterial populations as multicellular organisms.
Annu Rev Microbiol: 1998, 52;81-104
[PubMed:9891794] [WorldCat.org] [DOI] (P p)