Dual functionality of the amyloid protein TasA in Bacillus physiology and fitness on the phylloplane

Bacteria can form biofilms that consist of multicellular communities embedded in an extracellular matrix (ECM). In Bacillus subtilis, the main protein component of the ECM is the functional amyloid TasA. Here, we study further the roles played by TasA in B. subtilis physiology and biofilm formation on plant leaves and in vitro. We show that ΔtasA cells exhibit a range of cytological symptoms indicative of excessive cellular stress leading to increased cell death. TasA associates to the detergent-resistant fraction of the cell membrane, and the distribution of the flotillin-like protein FloT is altered in ΔtasA cells. We propose that, in addition to a structural function during ECM assembly and interactions with plants, TasA contributes to the stabilization of membrane dynamics as cells enter stationary phase.