Genome mining for the presence of putative cellulose synthesis operon in multiple Proteus vulgaris strains and its characterization using computational methods

Proteus vulgaris is a pathogenic bacteria that has been found to cause various infections in multiple organisms. It has been primarily found to cause urinary tract infections. These bacteria form very resistant biofilms on the surface of catheters and surgical equipment. Hence it is very important to understand these biofilms and their architectures for resolving the problems associated with these biofilms. Cellulose synthase operon is responsible for producing cellulose in multiple bacteria and this polysaccharide forms the backbone of many bacterial biofilms. In multiple pathogenic bacteria this cellulose has been observed to trap drugs and contribute to drug resistance. In this study we report the presence of the cellulose synthase operon for the first time in the bacteria Proteus vulgaris. We also predict the organization of the cellulose synthase operon in several strains of this bacteria and characterize the subunit proteins of the operon further using various computational methods.