E. colicells advance into phase-separated (biofilm-simulating) extracellular polymeric substance containing DNA, HU, and lipopolysaccharide

Author:

Gupta Archit,Guptasarma PurnanandaORCID

Abstract

AbstractWe have earlier shown that HU, a nucleoid-associated protein, uses its DNA-binding surfaces to bind to bacterial outer-membrane lipopolysachharide (LPS), with this explaining how HU act as a potential glue for the adherence of bacteria to DNA, e.g., in biofilms. We have also earlier shown that HU and DNA together condense into a state of liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) both within, and outside, bacterial cells. Here, we report that HU and free LPS also condense into a state of phase separation, with coacervates of HU, DNA and free LPS being less liquid-like than condensates of HU and DNA alone.E. colicells bearing surface LPS and also shedding LPS, are shown to adhere to (as well as enter into) condensates of HU and DNA. HU thus appears to play a role in maintaining both an intracellular state of phase separation involving genomic nucleoids that are phase-separated from the cytoplasm, and an extracellular state of phase separation involving coacervates of extracellular DNA, HU and LPS, in the extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) of biofilms, in which LPS content is shown to modulate liquidity.ImportanceUnderstanding biofilm genesis and nature are crucial to understanding how to deal with the bacterial resistance to antibiotics that develops eventually in persistent biofilms. This study, together with two other recent landmark studies from our group, elucidates a novel aspect of the extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) of anEscherichia colibiofilm, by creating a simulacrum of the EPS and demonstrating that its formation involves liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) by its component HU, DNA, and lipopolysaccharide (LPS), with LPS determining the liquidity of the EPS simulacrum. The findings provide insight into the physical nature of biofilms but also suggests that the interplay of HU, DNA, and LPS facilitates the structural integrity and functional dynamics of biofilms. These findings are a stepping stone to the eventual development of strategies to disrupt biofilm.

Publisher

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory

Reference37 articles.

同舟云学术

1.学者识别学者识别

2.学术分析学术分析

3.人才评估人才评估

"同舟云学术"是以全球学者为主线,采集、加工和组织学术论文而形成的新型学术文献查询和分析系统,可以对全球学者进行文献检索和人才价值评估。用户可以通过关注某些学科领域的顶尖人物而持续追踪该领域的学科进展和研究前沿。经过近期的数据扩容,当前同舟云学术共收录了国内外主流学术期刊6万余种,收集的期刊论文及会议论文总量共计约1.5亿篇,并以每天添加12000余篇中外论文的速度递增。我们也可以为用户提供个性化、定制化的学者数据。欢迎来电咨询!咨询电话:010-8811{复制后删除}0370

www.globalauthorid.com

TOP

Copyright © 2019-2024 北京同舟云网络信息技术有限公司
京公网安备11010802033243号  京ICP备18003416号-3