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Published on: May 22, 2014
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Phosphoethanolamine cellulose: A naturally produced chemically modified cellulose.
Wiriya Thongsomboon1, Diego O Serra2, Alexandra Possling2
1Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|January 20, 2018
Summary
Escherichia coli produces chemically modified cellulose crucial for biofilm structure. This novel phosphoethanolamine modification, identified by NMR, is essential for bacterial extracellular matrix assembly.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Biochemistry
- Structural Biology
Background:
- Cellulose is vital for plant structure and bacterial biofilms.
- The exact composition and modification of bacterial cellulose remain incompletely understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify chemical modifications in Escherichia coli cellulose.
- To elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying modified cellulose production in biofilms.
Main Methods:
- Solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy was employed to analyze intact bacterial cellulose.
- Genetic analysis identified key proteins and signaling pathways involved in cellulose modification.
Main Results:
- Discovery of a zwitterionic phosphoethanolamine modification on Escherichia coli cellulose.
- Identification of BcsG as a phosphoethanolamine transferase and the BcsE-BcsF-BcsG pathway regulating its installation.
- The bcsEFG operon, responsible for this modification, is conserved in other bacteria like Salmonella.
Conclusions:
- Phosphoethanolamine cellulose is a key component of the extracellular matrix in E. coli biofilms.
- The findings reveal the genetic and molecular basis for modified cellulose production.
- This discovery opens avenues for modulating bacterial cellulose production and engineering novel cellulosic materials.
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