Daniel B. Kearns

This study shows that DegQ and SwrA have opposing effects on DegU-dependent phenotypes in Bacillus subtilis through distinct mechanisms.

This study identifies minJ and divIVA as essential for chromosome segregation in Bacillus subtilis when SMC function is impaired, highlighting the interdependence between chromosome segregation and cell division.

The paper investigates FtsZ-ring disassembly in Bacillus subtilis, showing distinct roles of MinD and EzrA in Z-ring removal and proposing a two-step disassembly model.

This study shows that flagellar synthesis in Bacillus subtilis causes cell lysis when PBP1 is absent, due to activation of peptidoglycan hydrolases via SigD.

The paper identifies a fluorescent membrane reporter, PtsG-GFP, for dynamic cell cycle analysis in Bacillus subtilis and demonstrates its utility in tracking cytokinesis.

This paper defines the membrane topology of MinJ in Bacillus subtilis, showing it is a nine-pass transmembrane protein with a putative transmembrane β-sheet, and supports its conserved functions in cell division.

The paper reconstructs the ancestral complexity of bacterial flagellar systems, identifying 28 additional conserved gene families, suggesting the last bacterial common ancestor had a complex flagellum with more components than extant bacteria.

The paper shows that ClpX promotes swarming motility in Bacillus subtilis by degrading Spx, which represses flagellar gene transcription.

This paper adapts APEX2 proximity labeling for RNA localization in bacteria, enabling rapid sub-minute labeling and flexible downstream applications.

The paper shows ComFB binds c-di-GMP to inhibit motility in B. subtilis by affecting flagellar activity, independent of MotI.

The paper shows that basal bodies in Bacillus subtilis are mobile during early assembly and become immobilized when the rod transits the peptidoglycan, suggesting rod polymerization probes the peptidoglycan for pores.

The paper identifies two binding sites of the SinR*SlrR heteromer in the fla/che operon that cause premature termination, reducing SigD expression and motility in Bacillus subtilis.

The paper investigates how ComI, a transmembrane peptide in Bacillus subtilis, inhibits transformation by selectively killing competent cells through permeabilization.