Unique inducible filamentous motility identified in pathogenic Bacillus cereus group species.

Active migration across semi-solid surfaces is important for bacterial success by facilitating colonization of unoccupied niches and is often associated with altered virulence and antibiotic resistance profiles. We isolated an atmospheric contaminant, subsequently identified as a new strain of Bacillus mobilis, which showed a unique, robust, rapid, and inducible filamentous surface motility. This flagella-independent migration was characterized by formation of elongated cells at the expanding edge and was induced when cells were inoculated onto lawns of metabolically inactive Campylobacter jejuni cells, autoclaved bacterial biomass, adsorbed milk, and adsorbed blood atop hard agar plates.

Investigating the Campylobacter jejuni Transcriptional Response to Host Intestinal Extracts Reveals the Involvement of a Widely Conserved Iron Uptake System.

is a pathogenic bacterium that causes gastroenteritis in humans yet is a widespread commensal in wild and domestic animals, particularly poultry. Using RNA sequencing, we assessed transcriptional responses to medium supplemented with human fecal versus chicken cecal extracts and in extract-supplemented medium versus medium alone. exposed to extracts had altered expression of 40 genes related to iron uptake, metabolism, chemotaxis, energy production, and osmotic stress response.