Bacillus subtilis ensures high spore quality in competition with Salmonella Typhimurium via the SigB-dependent pathway
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: The interactions between beneficial bacteria and pathogens are understudied. Here we investigate the interactions between the probiotic strain Bacillus subtilis PS-216 and the pathogen Salmonella Typhimurium SL1344. We show here that the sporulation of B. subtilis is impaired when it competes with S. Typhimurium in a nutrient-depleted medium. The sporulation impairment in B. subtilis is mediated by the sigma factor B (SigB)-dependent general stress response, as the ΔsigB mutant remains blind to manipulative cues from S. Typhimurium. Furthermore, we show that decreased sporulation frequency in B. subtilis depends on cell-cell contact between the two species involving the S. Typhimurium Type VI Secretion System, whereas B. subtilis uses the SigB-dependent response to trade spore quantity for higher spore quality.
Source: The ISME Journal
Language: English
Subfield: Genetics
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $4,153
Awards: G2010642952, A high-throughput experimental evolution platform for the flexible optimization of antimicrobial probiotic and biocontrol strains, Microbiology and biotechnology of food and environment, Investigations of inter and intraspecies bacterial interactions for probiotic improvement by in vivo and in vitro model systems, G8801033610
OpenAlex ID: W4408585271