Defining the Expression, Production, and Signaling Roles of Specialized Metabolites during Bacillus subtilis Differentiation
Alexi A. Schoenborn, Sarah M. Yannarell, E. Diane Wallace, Haley Clapper, Ilon Weinstein, Elizabeth A. Shank
Abstract
Bacterially produced specialized metabolites are frequently studied for their potential use as antibiotics and antifungals. However, a growing body of work has suggested that the antagonistic potential of specialized metabolites is not their only function. Here, using Bacillus subtilis as our model bacterium, we demonstrated that developmental processes such as biofilm formation and sporulation are tightly linked to specialized metabolite gene expression and production. Additionally, under our differentiation-inducing conditions, six out of the nine specialized metabolites investigated behave as intraspecific signals that impact B. subtilis physiology and influence biofilm formation and sporulation. Our work supports the viewpoint that specialized metabolites have a clear role as cell-cell signaling molecules within differentiated populations of bacteria.