Mass Spectrometry Uncovers the Role of Surfactin as an Interspecies Recruitment Factor

• Published in: ACS chemical biology Vol. 14; no. 3; pp. 459 - 467
• Main Authors: Luzzatto-Knaan, Tal, Melnik, Alexey V, Dorrestein, Pieter C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Chemical Society 15.03.2019
• Subjects: Bacillus subtilis; Bacterial Proteins - isolation & purification; Biological Products - isolation & purification; Cells, Cultured; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Coculture Techniques; Lipopeptides - isolation & purification; Paenibacillus; Peptides, Cyclic - isolation & purification; Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization - methods; Tandem Mass Spectrometry
• ISSN: 1554-8929; 1554-8937
• DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.8b01120

Microbes use metabolic exchange to sense and respond to their changing environment. Surfactins, produced by Bacillus subtilis, have been extensively studied for their role in biofilm formation, biosurfactant properties, and antimicrobial activity, affecting the surrounding microbial consortia. Using mass spectrometry, we reveal that Paenibacillus dendritiformis, originally isolated with B. subtilis, is not antagonized by the presence of surfactins and is actually attracted to them. We demonstrate here for the first time that P. dendritiformis is also actively degrading surfactins produced by B. subtilis and accumulating the degradation products that serve as territorial markers. This new attribute as an attractant of selected microbes and the conversion into a deterrent highlight the diverse role natural products have in shaping the environment and establishing mixed communities.