The influence of nonconjugative Escherichia coli plasmids on biofilm formation and resistance

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2012

Authors

Joana Teodósio (Author) FEUP; M. Simões (Author) FEUP; F. J. Mergulhão (Author) FEUP

Journal

Title: JOURNAL OF APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY

Vol. 113 No. 2

Pages: 373-382

ISSN: 1364-5072

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 27 Citations

ISI Web of Science

Scopus - 31 Citations

Scientific classification

FOS: Natural sciences > Biological sciences

Associated Projects

PTDC/BIO/69092/2006 - Estudo das interacções entre a secreção de proteínas recombinantes e a formação e estabilidade de biofilmes

MIT-Pt/BS-BB/0082/2008 - Biologia de sistemas e Biologia sintética no desenvolvimento de fábricas celulares microbianas melhoradas

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-002-7MW

DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2672.2012.05332.x

Abstract (EN): Aims: This work describes the effects of the presence of nonconjugative plasmids in Escherichia coli cells forming biofilms on a flow cell system under turbulent conditions. Methods and Results: The pET28 and pUC8 plasmids were separately used to transform E.similar to coli JM109(DE3). Biofilm formation, removal and antimicrobial susceptibility to the cationic biocide benzyldimethyldodecylammonium chloride (BDMDAC) were assessed. Transformed cells formed thicker biofilms with higher cell densities, and the metabolic activity was higher whereas nontransformed cells had higher viabilities. Biocide treatment was not efficient for biofilm removal but was effective for cell killing. Biofilms formed by nontransformed cells were less affected by the treatment. Conclusions: Cell transformation with the tested plasmids has significant impacts on biofilm formation, cell viability, metabolic activity and resistance to biocide treatment. Our results show that in biofilm studies involving deletion/complementation experiments, a control with the strain carrying a plasmid devoid of the gene under investigation must be included so that the real effects of the genetic manipulation are not biased by the presence of the plasmid backbone. Significance and Impact of the Study: This is the first report where the presence of nonconjugative plasmids is assessed in flow conditions analysing biofilm formation, removal and antimicrobial susceptibility of high cell-density biofilms.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 10