Open AccessTOL plasmid carriage enhances biofilm formation and increases extracellular DNA content in Pseudomonas putida KT2440
Author(s) -
D'Alvise Paul W.,
Sjøholm Ole R.,
Yankelevich Tatiana,
Jin Yujie,
Wuertz Stefan,
Smets Barth F.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6968.2010.02105.x
Subject(s) - biofilm , extracellular , pseudomonas putida , plasmid , microbiology and biotechnology , extracellular polymeric substance , lysis , nucleic acid , fluorescence microscope , pseudomonas , bacteria , biology , chemistry , dna , biophysics , biochemistry , fluorescence , genetics , physics , quantum mechanics
Adherent growth of Pseudomonas putida KT2440 with and without the TOL plasmid (pWWO) at the solid–liquid and air–liquid interface was examined. We compared biofilm formation on glass in flow cells, and assayed pellicle (air–liquid interface biofilm) formation in stagnant liquid cultures by confocal laser scanning microscopy. The TOL‐carrying strains formed pellicles and thick biofilms, whereas the same strains without the plasmid displayed little adherent growth. Microscopy using fluorescent nucleic acid‐specific stains revealed differences in the production of extracellular polymeric substances: TOL carriage leads to more extracellular DNA (eDNA) in pellicles and biofilms. Pellicles were dissolved by DNase I treatment. Enhanced cell lysis due to plasmid carriage was ruled out as the mechanism for eDNA release. We report, for the first time, that carriage of a conjugative plasmid leads to increased biofilm formation by production of eDNA.