Biofilm formation

Biofilms are the result of the multicellular lifestyle of B. subtilis. They are characterized by the formation of a matrix polysaccharide and an amyloid-like protein, TasA.

Parent categories	4. Lifestyles 4.1. Exponential and early post-exponential lifestyles
Neighbouring categories	4.1.1. Motility and chemotaxis 4.1.2. Biofilm formation 4.1.3. Genetic competence
Related categories	none
Overview on the categories (Excel file) All genes and their categories (Excel file)

Labs working on biofilm formation

• Daniel Kearns
• Oscar Kuipers
• Beth Lazazzera
• Richard Losick
• Nicola Stanley-Wall

Key genes and operons involved in biofilm formation

• matrix polysaccharide synthesis:
  • epsA-epsB-epsC-epsD-epsE-epsF-epsG-epsH-epsI-epsJ-epsK-epsL-epsM-epsN-epsO
• amyloid protein synthesis
  • yqxM-sipW-tasA
• regulation
  • SlrR
  • SlrA
  • SinR
  • SinI
  • PtkA
  • TkmA
  • PtpZ
  • DegU
  • RacX
• biofilm disassembly
  • YlmE
• other proteins required for biofilm formation
  • SpeA
  • YmcA
  • YxaB

Key reviews

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)

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)

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)

• additional reviews: PubMed