Gene transcription from the linear plasmid pBClin15 leads to cell lysis and extracellular DNA dependent aggregation of B. cereus ATCC 14579 in response to quinolone induced stress

ABSTRACT: Several members of the Bacillus cereus group of bacteria carry lysogenic phages of the family Tectiviridae. The Bacilus cereus reference strain (ATCC 14579) harbor a linear plasmid (pBClin15) that is highly similar to the genomes of the Tectiviruses. Production of active phages has however never been reported for pBClin15 and the role of pBClin15 in B. cereus physiology has been enigmatic. We have for the first time demonstrated an effect of pBClin15 on the physiology of B. cereus ATCC 14579 whereby the wild type is more sensitive to DNA damaging antibiotics compared to a pBClin15 cured strain. The microarray experiments in this study were designed to highlight transcriptional differences between the B. cereus ATCC 14579 wild type and a plasmid cured variant that potentially could explain the impact of pBClin15 on the B. cereus physiology. Microarray experiments were carried out under non-stressful conditions (growth in logarithmic phase in LB medium) under which there were no phenotypic difference between the wild type and pBClin15 cured strain as well as under stressful conditions under which there were phenotypic differences between the two strain (growth in LB medium supplemented with 0.5M-5g norfloxacin per ml).

ORGANISM(S): Bacillus cereus

SUBMITTER: Roger Simm 

PROVIDER: E-MEXP-3894 | biostudies-arrayexpress |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-arrayexpress