Work

Bacillus subtilis spreads by surfing on waves of surfactant

Year: 2009

Type: article

Abstract: The bacterium Bacillus subtilis produces the molecule surfactin, which is known to enhance the spreading of multicellular colonies on nutrient substrates by lowering the surface tension of the surrounding fluid, and to aid in the formation of aerial structures. Here we present experiments and a mathematical model that demonstrate how the differential accumulation rates induced by the geometry of the bacterial film give rise to surfactant waves. The spreading flux increases with increasing biofilm viscosity. Community associations are known to protect bacterial populations from environmental challenges such as predation, heat, or chemical stresses, and enable digestion of a broader range of nutritive sources. This study provides evidence of enhanced dispersal through cooperative motility, and points to nonintuitive methods for controlling the spread of biofilms.

Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0905890106

Authors: Thomas E. Angelini, Marcus Roper, Roberto Kolter, David A. Weitz, Michael P. Brenner

Institutions: Harvard University, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley

Language: English

Topic: Bacterial biofilms and quorum sensing

Subfield: Molecular Biology

Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: green

OpenAlex ID: W2058734202

FWCI: 3.493

Cites: 41

Cited by: 177

Related to: 10