The University of Malaga (UMA) in Spain has proven that Bacillus subtilis cells, when deprived of an amyloid protein (TasA), exhibit a series of cytological abnormalities and dysfunctions, leading to their premature death. This discovery allows us to advance our understanding of the role of these proteins, widely distributed in the microbial world, and helps to improve biological control methods in sustainable agriculture.
The UMA research team particularly highlighted how this amyloid protein TasA, necessary for the assembly of bacterial communities known as “biofilms”, also prevents bacterial cell death, but preserves the integrity of the cell membrane. “In other words, we observed a complementary role in these proteins beyond the merely structural role”, explains the main author of this study, researcher Diego Romero, who is also a member of the Institute of Mediterranean and Subtropical Horticulture “La Mayora” (IHSM), an institute joint research project of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and UMA.
According to the expert, this dual functionality is reflected in bacterial attachment to plant surfaces, where the protein contributes to combating pathogen attack and improving bacterial fitness. “Our objective is to increase its use in sustainable models of crop production and protection”, says the professor in the Department of Microbiology at UMA.
Thus, this study worked on the bacteria Bacillus subtilis, emphasizing two aspects, the study of its molecular bases, which lead to the formation of bacterial communities known as “biofilms” and how these biofilms contribute to the beneficial activity of Bacillus as a biocontrol agent in sustainable agriculture models.
Source: agrolink
READ TOO:
{module 441}
{module 442}
