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Genetic and physiological analysis of biofilm formation on different plastic surfaces by Sphingomonas sp. strain S2M10 reveals an essential function of sphingan biosynthesis.
- Source :
-
Microbiology (Reading, England) [Microbiology (Reading)] 2020 Oct; Vol. 166 (10), pp. 918-935. - Publication Year :
- 2020
-
Abstract
- Alphaproteobacteria belonging to the group of the sphingomonads are frequently found in biofilms colonizing pure-water systems, where they cause technical and hygienic problems. In this study, physiological properties of sphingomonads for biofilm formation on plastic surfaces were analysed. Sphingomonas sp. strain S2M10 was isolated from a used water-filtration membrane and submitted to transposon mutagenesis for isolating mutants with altered biofilm formation. Mutants showing strongly decreased biofilm formation carried transposon insertions in genes for the biosynthesis of the polysaccharide sphingan and for flagellar motility. Flagella-mediated attachment was apparently important for biofilm formation on plastic materials of intermediate hydrophobicity, while a mutant with defect in spnB , encoding the first enzyme in sphingan biosynthesis, showed no biofilm formation on all tested materials. Sphingan-dependent biofilm formation was induced in the presence of specific carbon sources while it was not induced in complex medium with yeast extract and tryptone. The regulation of sphingan-based biofilm formation was investigated by interfering with the CckA/ChpT/CtrA phosphorelay, a central signal-transduction pathway in most Alphaproteobacteria. Construction and ectopic expression of a kinase-deficient histidine kinase CckA caused cell elongation and massive sphingan-dependent cell aggregation. In addition, it caused increased activity of the promotor of spnB . In conclusion, these results indicate that sphingan-based biofilm formation by sphingomonads might be triggered by specific carbon sources under prototrophic conditions resembling a milieu that often prevails in pure-water systems.
- Subjects :
- Bacterial Adhesion
Bacterial Proteins genetics
Bacterial Proteins metabolism
Carbon analysis
Carbon metabolism
DNA Transposable Elements genetics
Flagella genetics
Flagella metabolism
Histidine Kinase genetics
Histidine Kinase metabolism
Mutation
Plastics chemistry
Polysaccharides, Bacterial genetics
Signal Transduction
Sphingomonas genetics
Sphingomonas isolation & purification
Sphingomonas metabolism
Transcription, Genetic
Water Microbiology
Biofilms growth & development
Plastics metabolism
Polysaccharides, Bacterial biosynthesis
Sphingomonas physiology
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1465-2080
- Volume :
- 166
- Issue :
- 10
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Microbiology (Reading, England)
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 32762802
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1099/mic.0.000961