The 1.9 Å crystal structure of the extracellular matrix protein Bap1 from provides insights into bacterial biofilm adhesion.

Growth of the cholera bacterium in a biofilm community contributes to both its pathogenicity and survival in aquatic environmental niches. The major components of biofilms include olyaccharide (VPS) and the extracellular matrix proteins RbmA, RbmC, and Bap1. To further elucidate the previously observed overlapping roles of Bap1 and RbmC in biofilm architecture and surface attachment, here we investigated the structural and functional properties of Bap1.