Cell Aggregation and Aerobic Respiration Are Important for ZM4 Survival in an Aerobic Minimal Medium.

produces ethanol from glucose near the theoretical maximum yield, making it a potential alternative to the yeast for industrial ethanol production. A potentially useful industrial feature is the ability to form multicellular aggregates called flocs, which can settle quickly and exhibit higher resistance to harmful chemicals than single cells. While spontaneous floc-forming mutants have been described, little is known about the natural conditions that induce floc formation or about the genetic factors involved.

Pantothenate auxotrophy in Zymomonas mobilis ZM4 is due to a lack of aspartate decarboxylase activity.

The bacterium Zymomonas mobilis naturally produces ethanol at near theoretical maximum yields, making it of interest for industrial ethanol production. Zymomonas mobilis requires the vitamin pantothenate for growth. Here we characterized the genetic basis for the Z.

Exopolysaccharide from Induces Anti-Inflammatory M2 Macrophages That Prevent T Cell-Mediated Disease.

Commensal bacteria contribute to immune homeostasis in the gastrointestinal tract; however, the underlying mechanisms for this are not well understood. A single dose of exopolysaccharide (EPS) from the probiotic spore-forming bacterium protects mice from acute colitis induced by the enteric pathogen Adoptive transfer of macrophage-rich peritoneal cells from EPS-treated mice confers protection from disease to recipient mice. In vivo, EPS induces development of anti-inflammatory M2 macrophages in a TLR4-dependent manner, and these cells inhibit T cell activation in vitro and in -infected mice.