D. B. Kearns

The paper shows SwrA extends DegU binding over a UP element to activate flagellar gene expression in Bacillus subtilis, enabling motility and swarming.

This study shows that the alternative sigma factor SigN of Bacillus subtilis is intrinsically toxic when overexpressed, leading to cell death by outcompeting the vegetative sigma factor SigA for RNA polymerase core binding.

This study shows that Bacillus subtilis uses redundant penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs) to adapt to alkaline stress, with some PBPs becoming more active or modified during alkaline shock.

The paper identifies 'active bulging' as a process that promotes biofilm formation in bacterial swarms through liquid bulge formation and cell density manipulation.

This study uses CRISPRi to knockdown essential genes in Bacillus subtilis and finds that fatty acid synthesis knockdown increases biofilm wrinkling and inhibits sporulation.

This study uses TnSeq to identify genes required for swarming motility in Bacillus subtilis, finding known flagellar genes, previously reported regulators, and 36 additional genes that enhance swarming.

This study identifies Spx-dependent and Spx-independent mechanisms that suppress division defects in a Bacillus subtilis minD noc double mutant at high temperature.

This study investigates SwrB's role in Bacillus subtilis flagellar type III secretion, showing it acts sub-stoichiometrically and transiently, with specific residues critical for its function.

The paper identifies CwlQ as essential for flagellar-dependent swarming motility in Bacillus subtilis but not for flagellar assembly.

This study identifies bacterial swarmers as protective against intestinal inflammation in mice and humans, showing their ability to enrich beneficial gut microbes.

This study shows Noc prevents FtsZ protofilaments from migrating between Z-rings in B. subtilis, stabilizing cytokinesis without controlling division site selection.

This study identifies NusG as an intrinsic termination factor that works with NusA to facilitate termination at most intrinsic terminators and regulates gene expression and motility in Bacillus subtilis.

This study identifies FliW residues critical for inhibiting CsrA in Bacillus subtilis and proposes a mechanism involving salt bridge formation and core domain deformation.

This study identifies β-lactam antibiotics that selectively inhibit specific penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs) in Bacillus subtilis and reveals PBP3 activity patterns using activity-based probes.

This study quantifies FtsZ dynamics in Bacillus subtilis and shows the Min system disassembles Z-rings and inhibits polar peptidoglycan remodeling.

The paper introduces an improved mariner-based transposon system for Bacillus subtilis with enhanced stability and versatile applications for gene disruption and expression reporting.

This study shows that surfactin production in Bacillus subtilis enhances viability under anoxic conditions by depolarizing the membrane, contrasting with its harmful effects in aerobic environments.

The paper identifies SigN, a sigma factor encoded on plasmid pBS32, which mediates DNA damage-induced cell death through its regulon and self-regulation via three promoters.