Impact of Rap-Phr system abundance on adaptation of Bacillus subtilis

• DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-01983-9
• Publication Date: 2021-04-13T10:05:57Z
• Authors: Ramses Gallegos-M...; Mathilde Nordgaar...; Tino Barchewitz; Sonja Koppenhöfer; B. Priyadarshini; Balázs Bálint; Gergely Maróti; Paul J. Kempen; Anna Dragoš; Ákos T. Kovács
• Keywords: 0301 basic medicine; QH3015 Molecular biology / molekuláris biológia; QH301-705.5; Quorum Sensing; Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; Adaptation, Physiological; Article; Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases; QK Botany / növénytan; 03 medical and health sciences; Genes, Bacterial; Multigene Family; Biology (General); QH301 Biology / biológia; Bacillus subtilis

AbstractMicrobes commonly display great genetic plasticity, which has allowed them to colonize all ecological niches on Earth. Bacillus subtilis is a soil-dwelling organism that can be isolated from a wide variety of environments. An interesting characteristic of this bacterium is its ability to form biofilms that display complex heterogeneity: individual, clonal cells develop diverse phenotypes in response to different environmental conditions within the biofilm. Here, we scrutinized the impact that the number and variety of the Rap-Phr family of regulators and cell-cell communication modules of B. subtilis has on genetic adaptation and evolution. We examine how the Rap family of phosphatase regulators impacts sporulation in diverse niches using a library of single and double rap-phr mutants in competition under 4 distinct growth conditions. Using specific DNA barcodes and whole-genome sequencing, population dynamics were followed, revealing the impact of individual Rap phosphatases and arising mutations on the adaptability of B. subtilis.