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Inter-Bacterial Communication through Exopolysaccharide Sensing

ORAL

Abstract

Bacterial exopolysaccharides (EPS) have long been thought to be a kind of 'molecular glue' that promotes surface adhesion. Previous studies have additionally shown that PAO1 can sense EPS trails of Psl deposited on a surface to orchestrate motility during the early stages of forming a biofilm community. This sensory signal is transduced into cyclic-di-guanylate monophosphate (cdGMP) second messengers, but none of the known receptors/adhesins that bind to Psl components have any roles in signal transduction. Through the use of patterned glycomimetic trails, consisting of grafted polymers with mannose pendant groups, we find that PAO1 are capable of EPS sensing based on continuous mechanochemical surveillance of Pa's environment. We found that this sensing is conducted via type IV pili (T4P) powered 'force spectroscopy', with appendages pulling against cell-body localized adhesins which interact with specific EPS motifs in the Psl trails. We propose that this sensing generates a transitional population with both elevated cdGMP and high motility, capable of following EPS trails. Our results demonstrate a generalizable mechanism of surface chemo-sensing through mechanosensitive appendages, facilitating spatiotemporal cell-cell communicative responses through motility and EPS.

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Publication: Schmidt, W. C., Lee, C. K., Zheng, X., Chen, J. W., Fetah, K. L., Popoli, J. R., Choi, Y. S., Young, T. D., Weiss, P. S., Kasko, A. M., O'Toole, G. A., Parsek, M. P. & Wong, G. C. L. Inter-Bacterial Communication through Exopolysaccharide Sensing. Nature (submitted)

Presenters

  • William C Schmidt

    University of California, Los Angeles

Authors

  • William C Schmidt

    University of California, Los Angeles

  • Calvin K Lee

    University of California, Los Angeles

  • Xuhui Zheng

    University of Washington

  • Jonathan W Chen

    University of California, Los Angeles

  • Kirsten L Fetah

    University of California, Los Angeles

  • James R Popoli

    University of California, Los Angeles

  • Yun Su Choi

    University of California, Los Angeles

  • Thomas D Young

    University of California, Los Angeles

  • Raymond Archuleta

    East Los Angeles College

  • Juan Dominguez

    East Los Angeles College

  • Diego Estrada Castro

    East Los Angeles College

  • Ziwei Li

    East Los Angeles College

  • Liz Yee

    East Los Angeles College

  • Bryant Zelaya

    East Los Angeles College

  • Paul S Weiss

    University of California, Los Angeles

  • Andrea M Kasko

    University of California, Los Angeles

  • George A O'Toole

    Geisel School of Medicine

  • Matthew R Parsek

    University of Washington

  • Gerard Wong

    University of California, Los Angeles