Many Gram-negative bacteria secrete exopolysaccharides via functionally homologous synthase-dependent systems. Here the authors use electron microscopy to reveal that biofilm-promoting cellulose in E. coli is secreted by a conserved multi-component secretion system with a megadalton-sized asymmetric architecture.
- Petya Violinova Krasteva
- Joaquin Bernal-Bayard
- Jean-Marc Ghigo