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Published online ahead of print on 21 April 2009 as doi:10.1099/mic.0.026419-0
Microbiology 2009;155:1407.

Microbiology (2009), DOI 10.1099/mic.0.026419-0
© 2009 Society for General Microbiology
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Microbiology 0 (2009), mic.0.026419; DOI  10.1099/mic.0.026419-0
© 2009 Society for General Microbiology

Cellular chain formation in Escherichia coli biofilms

R. M. Vejborg and P. Klemm1

Technical University of Denmark

ABSTRACT

In this study we report on a novel structural phenotype in E.coli biofilms; bacterial cellular chain formation. Biofilm chaining in E.coli K-12 was found to occur primarily by clonal expansion, but was not due to filamentous growth. Rather, chain formation was the result of intercellular interactions facilitated by antigen 43 (Ag43), a self-associating autotransporter (SAAT) protein, which has previously been implicated in auto-aggregation and biofilm formation. Immuno-fluorescence microscopy suggested that Ag43 was concentrated at or near the cell poles, although when highly over-expressed, at much more uniform distribution was seen. Immuno-fluorescence microscopy also indicated that other parameters including dimensional constraints (flow, growth alongside a surface) may also affect the final biofilm architecture. Moreover, chain formation was affected by other surface structures; type I fimbriae expression significantly reduced cellular chain formation, presumably by steric hindrance. Cellular chain formation did not appear to be specific to E.coli K-12. Although many urinary tract infection (UTI) isolates were found to form rather homogenous, flat biofilms, three isolates, including the prototypic asymptomatic bacteriuria strain, 83972, formed highly elaborate cellular chains during biofilm growth in human urine. Combined these results illustrate the diversity of biofilm architectures which can be observed even within a single microbial species.

1 E-mail: pkl{at}biocentrum.dtu.dk






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