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From 2010.igem.org

ULB-Brussels developed BioBricks for production of Caulobacter crescentus glue, and won the Best New BioBrick Part, Natural award in 2009. Caulobacter crescentus is a gram-negative bacterium, and the parts are optimised for E. coli. Unclear whether they will work in B. subtilis.

Genes: hfsE hfsF hfsG hfsH hfsC hfsI hfsD hfsA hfsB

                                 The inner membrane HfsE protein initiates glycosyltransferase by transferring

N-acetylglucosamine (NAG) from UDP−NAG to a lipid carrier. HfsG, a second glycosyltransferase protein, transfers NAG subunits to the growing polysaccharide chain. HfsH deacetylates one or more NAG residues. The HfsF protein translocates the polysaccharide chain linked to the lipid carrier across the inner membrane. The polymerases HfsC and HfsI proteins link the NAG repeat units together. The holdfast polysaccharide is transferred across the outer membrane by HfsA, HfsB and HfsD proteins. Hfa proteins mediate the polysaccharide attachment to the cell.

Complementary approaches are foreseen to differentiate these assumptions:

 • The other genes (hfsE hsfF, hsfC hsfI, hsfD hsfA and hsfB) should also be transferred to
   E. Coli with the same transcription rate.
 • As the anchoring genes may play a role in the glue composition, hfaA, hfaB and hfaD
   genes should be inserted in E.Coli too.
 • We need to have more information about the adhesive composition. A proteomic ap-
   proach with C.crescentus mutants that do not produce the glue might be undertaken.