Work

Glycopeptidolipid Acetylation Affects Sliding Motility and Biofilm Formation in Mycobacterium smegmatis

Year: 2001

Type: article

Abstract: The absence of glycopeptidolipids (GPLs) abolishes the ability of mycobacteria both to slide over the surface of motility plates and to form biofilms on polyvinyl chloride. In a screen for biofilm-defective mutants of Mycobacterium smegmatis mc(2)155, a new mutant was obtained that resulted in partial inhibition of both processes and also showed an intermediate rough colony morphology. The mariner transposon insertion mapped to a GPL biosynthesis gene (atf1) which encodes a putative acetyltranferase involved in the transfer of acetyl groups to the glycopeptide core. Physical characterization of the GPLs from the atf1 mutant demonstrated that they were not acetylated.

Source: Journal of Bacteriology

DOI: 10.1128/jb.183.19.5718-5724.2001

Authors: Judith Recht, Roberto Kolter

Institutions: Harvard University, Baim Institute for Clinical Research

Language: English

Topic: Tuberculosis Research and Epidemiology

Subfield: Infectious Diseases

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Institutes of Health, National Institute of General Medical Sciences

Awards: Molecular Genetics of Biofilm Formation, STARVATION PHYSIOLOGY OF ESCHERICHIA COLI