Novel tricks played by the second messenger c-di-GMP in bacterial biofilm formation

Abstract

The ubiquitous bacterial second messenger bis-(3'-5')-cyclic dimeric GMP (c-di-GMP) promotes biofilm formation by an astonishing variety of molecular mechanisms. Steiner et al (2013) now report that c-di-GMP directly stimulate interaction and enzymatic activity of two subunits of the membrane-integrated machinery that produces and secretes the poly-β-1,6-N-acetylglucosamine (PGA) exopolysaccharide in Escherichia coli. © 2013 European Molecular Biology Organization.