Abstract
It was recently shown that Mycobacterium tuberculosis produces cellulose which forms an integral part of its extracellular polymeric substances within a biofilm set-up. Using Mycobacterium smegmatis as a proxy model organism, we demonstrate that M. smegmatis biofilms treated with purified MSMEG_6752 releases the main cellulose degradation-product (cellobiose), detected by using ionic chromatography, suggesting that MSMEG_6752 encodes a cellulase. Its overexpression in M. smegmatis prevents spontaneous biofilm formation. Moreover, the method reported here allowed detecting cellobiose when M. smegmatis cultures were exposed to a subinhibitory dose of rifampicin. Overall, this study highlights the role of the MSMEG_6752 in managing cellulose production induced during biofilm formation and antibiotic stress response.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 392-399 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Glycobiology |
Volume | 27 |
Issue number | 5 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - May 2017 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- biofilm
- cellulase
- cellulose
- Mycobacterium
- rifampicin