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A metabolite morphogen coordinates multicellular development in Bacillus subtilis
Taylor B Updegrove1, Vani Pande1, Fukang She2
1Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Science Advances
|August 5, 2026
Summary
Bacillus subtilis sporulation triggers biofilm formation via a branched pathway. Released glycerol from sporulating cells signals nearby cells to form biofilms, revealing a novel multicellular development strategy.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Cell Biology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Multicellularity requires cellular function diversification.
- Bacillus subtilis biofilm formation was thought to precede sporulation linearly.
- This study re-examines the relationship between Bacillus subtilis sporulation and biofilm formation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the developmental pathway of Bacillus subtilis.
- To elucidate the molecular mechanisms linking sporulation and biofilm formation.
- To understand how cellular differentiation leads to multicellular structures.
Main Methods:
- Enzyme activity assays (ShfP, PhoA) to track lipoteichoic acid catabolism.
- Measurement of intracellular and extracellular glycerol concentrations.
- Microscopy to visualize biofilm formation in developing cell populations.
- Genetic manipulation to study the roles of ShfA and ShfP.
Main Results:
- Sporulation and biofilm formation diverge along a branched pathway, not a linear one.
- Sporulating Bacillus subtilis cells release glycerol, impeding their own sporulation.
- Extracellular glycerol acts as a morphogen, inducing biofilm formation in neighboring cells.
- ShfP and PhoA enzymes are crucial for glycerol release during sporulation.
Conclusions:
- Bacillus subtilis multicellularity arises from a branched developmental program.
- Sporulating cells produce glycerol, a signaling molecule that promotes biofilm formation in other cells.
- Cell-cell communication via repurposed metabolites drives the emergence of distinct cell lineages.
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