Fate of Transforming Deoxyribonucleic Acid After Uptake by Competent
            <i>Bacillus subtilis</i>
            : Phenotypic Characterization of Radiation-Sensitive Recombination-Deficient Mutants

Dubnau, David; Davidoff-Abelson, Rosa; Scher, Barbara M.; Cirigliano, C.

doi:10.1128/jb.114.1.273-286.1973

Cited by 133 publications

(50 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…Vibrio cholerae becomes naturally competent in biofilms growing on chitin (Meibom et al, 2005), and the gene encoding cholera toxin, a key virulence factor in cholera infections, is transferred among cells by phage (Waldor & Mekalanos, 1996). Under low-nutrient conditions, the spore-forming bacterium Bacillus subtilis also becomes naturally competent via a set of processes that pull DNA into the cell (Chen et al, 2006) and activate genes responsible for homologous recombination (Dubnau et al, 1973). Bacillus subtilis may have evolved this competence response to fish for DNA released from other cells; whether the goal is to gain new adaptive traits, to repair damaged genes, to acquire nutrients, or to perform another unknown function remains to be seen.…”

Section: Genetic Exchange In Biofilmsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The sociobiology of biofilms

2009

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Biofilms are densely packed communities of microbial cells that grow on surfaces and surround themselves with secreted polymers. Many bacterial species form biofilms, and their study has revealed them to be complex and diverse. The structural and physiological complexity of biofilms has led to the idea that they are coordinated and cooperative groups, analogous to multicellular organisms. We evaluate this idea by addressing the findings of microbiologists from the perspective of sociobiology, including theories of collective behavior (self-organization) and social evolution. This yields two main conclusions. First, the appearance of organization in biofilms can emerge without active coordination. That is, biofilm properties such as phenotypic differentiation, species stratification and channel formation do not necessarily require that cells communicate with one another using specialized signaling molecules. Second, while local cooperation among bacteria may often occur, the evolution of cooperation among all cells is unlikely for most biofilms. Strong conflict can arise among multiple species and strains in a biofilm, and spontaneous mutation can generate conflict even within biofilms initiated by genetically identical cells. Biofilms will typically result from a balance between competition and cooperation, and we argue that understanding this balance is central to building a complete and predictive model of biofilm formation.

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Section: Genetic Exchange In Biofilmsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The sociobiology of biofilms

2009

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“…These proteins, except RadA, are also induced in B. subtilis competent cells (Berka et al, 2002;Hamoen et al, 2002;Ogura et al, 2002). The universal DNA strand-exchange protein RecA is essential for chromosomal transformation both in B. subtilis (Dubnau et al, 1973) and in S. pneumoniae (Martin et al, 1992).…”

Section: Competence-induced Proteins Involved In Dna Processingmentioning

confidence: 99%

The genetic transformation machinery: composition, localization, and mechanism

Claverys¹,

Martin²,

Polard³

2009

FEMS Microbiol Rev

210

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Natural genetic transformation is widely distributed in bacteria. It is a genetically programmed process that is inherent to the species. Transformation requires a specialized membrane-associated machinery for uptake of exogenous double-stranded DNA. It also requires dedicated cytosolic proteins, some of which have been characterized only recently, for the processing of internalized single-stranded DNA fragments into recombination products. A series of observations made in Bacillus subtilis and Streptococcus pneumoniae led to the recent emergence of a picture of a unique, highly integrated machine localized at the cell poles. This dynamic machine, which we propose to name the transformasome, involves both membrane and cytosolic proteins, to internalize, protect, and process transforming DNA. This review attempts to summarize these recent observations with special emphasis on the early stages in DNA processing.

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“…The cells were scraped off the plates and freeze-dried. Colourless mutant SF241-W2 was obtained by mutagenesis with ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) following the protocol of Dubnau et al (1973). To liquid cultures of a density of 10 9 cells per ml, EMS was added to a final concentration of 5%.…”

Section: Strains Cultivation and Treatmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biosynthesis of a novel C30 carotenoid in Bacillus firmus isolates

et al. 2012

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Aims Pigmented Bacillus spp. with probiotic properties have been isolated. In the yellow‐/orange‐coloured strains, the carotenoid pigments present have been characterized. In contrast, the carotenoids present in the Bacillus isolates coloured red await identification. The present article reports progress on the elucidation of the pigment biosynthetic pathway in these red‐pigmented Bacillus firmus strains. Methods and Results A combination of UV/Vis, chromatographic and mass spectrometry (MS) has revealed the properties of the predominant pigment and the end‐point carotenoid of the pathway to be methyl 4,4′‐diapolycopene‐dioate after transmethylation. The diglycosyl ester of 4,4′‐diapolycopene‐dioate persists in vivo prior to chemical treatment. Different mutants and inhibitor treatment were employed to establish the C30 biosynthesis pathway with all precursors and intermediates to 4,4′‐diapolycopene‐dioate detected, which include 4,4′‐diapophytene and all desaturation intermediates to 4,4′‐diapolycopene and 4,4′‐diapolycopene‐dialdehyde. To cultures synthesizing the 4,4′‐diapolycopene‐dioate derivative and those in which its formation was inhibited, oxidative stress was induced by peroxide treatment. Conditions that decreased the growth rate of the pigmented cells by only 30% caused a complete growth inhibition of the culture devoid of the 4,4′‐diapolycopene‐dioate derivative. Conclusion This finding demonstrates the diversity of C30 carotenoid biosynthesis in Bacillus species and the antioxidative function of the 4,4′‐diapolycopene‐dioate derivative in B. firmus cells. Significance and Impact of the Study It could be shown that the C30 4,4′‐diapolycopene‐dioate derivatives protect pigmented B. firmus from peroxidative reactions. Under oxidative conditions, this can be an ecological advantage over nonpigmented (=noncarotenogenic) strains that are equally abundant.

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Fate of Transforming Deoxyribonucleic Acid After Uptake by Competent Bacillus subtilis : Phenotypic Characterization of Radiation-Sensitive Recombination-Deficient Mutants

Cited by 133 publications

References 23 publications

The sociobiology of biofilms

The sociobiology of biofilms

The genetic transformation machinery: composition, localization, and mechanism

Biosynthesis of a novel C30 carotenoid in Bacillus firmus isolates

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