D-tyrosine affects aggregation behavior of Pantoea agglomerans.

D-amino acids have been proved to disassemble biofilms by disassociating the matrix. Pantoea agglomerans is characterized by the formation of another kind of multicellular structure called symplasmata, which also remains the ability to form biofilms. In this study, a rice diazotrophic endophyte P. agglomerans YS19 was selected as a model strain to explore the effects of D-amino acids on these two kinds of cell aggregate structures. It was discovered that D-tyrosine disassociates biofilm, yet promotes symplasmata formation. D-tyrosine showed no influence on bacterial growth yet promoted the bacterial motility and inhibited the expression of cellular MalE and OmpF proteins, which enriched our knowledge of the biological effect of D-amino acids and expanded the research ideas of symplasmata formation.