Surface Sensing and Adaptation in Bacteria

Abstract

Bacteria thrive both in liquids and attached to surfaces. The concentration of bacteria on surfaces is generally much higher than in the surrounding environment, offering bacteria ample opportunity for mutualistic, symbiotic, and pathogenic interactions. To efficiently populate surfaces, they have evolved mechanisms to sense mechanical or chemical cues upon contact with solid substrata. This is of particular importance for pathogens that interact with host tissue surfaces. In this review we discuss how bacteria are able to sense surfaces and how they use this information to adapt their physiology and behavior to this new environment. We first survey mechanosensing and chemosensing mechanisms and outline how specific macromolecular structures can inform bacteria about surfaces. We then discuss how mechanical cues are converted to biochemical signals to activate specific cellular processes in a defined chronological order and describe the role of two key second messengers, c-di-GMP and cAMP, in this process.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa differentiates substrate rigidity using retraction of type IV pili

“…Consequently, the ability to sense a surface is crucial for bacteria during this process. Surface sensing can be facilitated passively by membrane associated proteins that sense the presence of a surface upon contact or actively by obstruction of the motion of an extracellular appendage [4][5][6][7][8][9]. For example, flagella are long helical appendages that generate a propulsive force that enable bacteria to swim in liquid.…”

Minor pilins are involved in motility and natural competence in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803

“…T4P are also involved in surface attachment and biofilm formation, which are important in the life of many prokaryotes. Biofilms confer a fitness advantage over planktonic solitary cells by protection from diverse environmental stresses, better nutrient availability and drug and predator resistance (Laventie & Jenal, 2020). Surface recognition by different appendages, including T4P, triggers signal transduction cascades involving second messengers, quorum‐sensing systems, two‐component systems and small regulatory RNAs (Laventie & Jenal, 2020).…”

“…Biofilms confer a fitness advantage over planktonic solitary cells by protection from diverse environmental stresses, better nutrient availability and drug and predator resistance (Laventie & Jenal, 2020). Surface recognition by different appendages, including T4P, triggers signal transduction cascades involving second messengers, quorum‐sensing systems, two‐component systems and small regulatory RNAs (Laventie & Jenal, 2020). For Pseudomonas , which possesses T4aP and a single polar flagellum, it was suggested that pilus tension leads to conformational change of the T4P, which subsequently leads to 3ʹ,5ʹ‐cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) production and activation of virulence programmes (Persat et al., 2015).…”

Minor pilin genes are involved in motility and natural competence inSynechocystissp. PCC 6803

“…T4P are also involved in surface attachment, which is an important part in the life of prokaryotes, enabling biofilm formation. Thus, biofilms confer a fitness advantage over planktonic solitary cells by protection from diverse environmental stresses, better nutrient availability and drug and predator resistance (Laventie and Jenal, 2020). Surface recognition by different appendages, including T4P, triggers signal transduction cascades involving second messengers, quorum-sensing systems, two-component systems and small regulatory RNAs (Laventie and Jenal, 2020).…”

“…Thus, biofilms confer a fitness advantage over planktonic solitary cells by protection from diverse environmental stresses, better nutrient availability and drug and predator resistance (Laventie and Jenal, 2020). Surface recognition by different appendages, including T4P, triggers signal transduction cascades involving second messengers, quorum-sensing systems, two-component systems and small regulatory RNAs (Laventie and Jenal, 2020). For Pseudomonas, which possesses T4P and a single polar flagellum, it was suggested that pilus tension leads to conformational change of the T4P, which subsequently leads to 3',5'-cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) production and activation of virulence programmes (Persat et al, 2015).…”