Open AccessA soil‐based microbial biofilm exposed to 2,4‐D: bacterial community development and establishment of conjugative plasmid pJP4
Author(s) -
Aspray Thomas J.,
Hansen Susse K.,
Burns Richard G.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
fems microbiology ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.377
H-Index - 155
eISSN - 1574-6941
pISSN - 0168-6496
DOI - 10.1016/j.femsec.2005.04.007
Subject(s) - biology , microbiology and biotechnology , pseudomonas putida , biofilm , 16s ribosomal rna , pseudomonas , green fluorescent protein , plasmid , burkholderia , strain (injury) , bacteria , gene , genetics , anatomy
A soil suspension was used as a source to initiate the development of microbial communities in flow cells irrigated with 2,4‐dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4‐D) (25 μg ml −1 ). Culturable bacterial members of the community were identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing and found to be members of the genera Pseudomonas , Burkholderia , Collimonas and Rhodococcus . A 2,4‐D degrading donor strain, Pseudomonas putida SM1443 (pJP4:: gfp ), was inoculated into flow cell chambers containing 2‐day old biofilm communities. Transfer of pJP4:: gfp from the donor to the bacterial community was detectable as GFP fluorescing cells and images were captured using confocal scanning laser microscopy (GFP fluorescence was repressed in the donor due to the presence of a chromosomally located lacI q repressor gene). Approximately 5–10 transconjugant microcolonies, 20–40 μm in diameter, could be seen to develop in each chamber. A 2,4‐D degrading transconjugant strain was isolated from the flow cell system belonging to the genus Burkholderia .