Impact of Rap-Phr system abundance on adaptation of Bacillus subtilis

Abstract

Ramses Gallegos-Monterrosa, Mathilde Nordgaard Christensen, and colleagues investigate how a single or double deletion of the rap-phr genes, parts of peptide-based quorum sensing systems, impacts the sporulation and biofilm formation of B. subtilis under four different conditions and a multitude of strains. Using strain-specific barcoding and complete genome sequencing, the authors show that competitive selection is driven by acquired mutations, and that selected strains demonstrate increased spore fitness relative to their ancestors and wild types.