PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Ryan J. Morris
AU  - Marieke Schor
AU  - Rachel M.C. Gillespie
AU  - Ana Sofia Ferreira
AU  - Keith M. Bromley
AU  - Lucia Baldauf
AU  - Sofia Arnaouteli
AU  - Tetyana Sukhodub
AU  - Adam Ostrowski
AU  - Laura Hobley
AU  - Chris Earl
AU  - Nicola R. Stanley-Wall
AU  - Cait E. MacPhee
TI  - Evolutionary variations in the biofilm-associated protein BslA from the genus <em>Bacillus</em>
AID  - 10.1101/091884
DP  - 2016 Jan 01
TA  - bioRxiv
PG  - 091884
4099  - http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2016/12/12/091884.short
4100  - http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2016/12/12/091884.full
AB  - BslA is a protein secreted by Bacillus subtilis which forms a hydrophobic film that coats the biofilm surface and renders it water-repellent. We have characterised three orthologues of BslA from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, Bacillus licheniformis and Bacillus pumilus as well as a paralogue from B. subtilis called YweA. We find that the three orthologous proteins can substitute for BslA in B. subtilis and confer a degree of protection, whereas YweA cannot. The degree to which the proteins functionally substitute for native BslA correlates with their in vitro biophysical properties. Our results demonstrate the use of naturally-evolved variants to provide a framework for teasing out the molecular basis of interfacial self-assembly.