Background: Bacteria use various
mechanisms to anchor their surface proteins,
including a sortase enzyme.
Results: Covalent anchoring of proteins to the
peptidoglycan in Clostridium difficile and its
regulation by cyclic-di-GMP and protease
activity are demonstrated.
Conclusion: A novel regulatory mechanism of
cell wall protein anchoring is found.
Significance: Elucidating how proteins are
anchored may shed light on control of bacterial
colonization in vivo.