Influence of twitching and swarming motilities on biofilm formation in Pseudomonas strains
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ORIGINAL PAPER
Influence of twitching and swarming motilities on biofilm formation in Pseudomonas strains Letícia Muner Otton1 · Marina da Silva Campos1 · Karine Lena Meneghetti1 · Gertrudes Corção1
Received: 26 April 2016 / Revised: 10 January 2017 / Accepted: 20 January 2017 © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2017
Abstract The genus Pseudomonas mainly includes opportunistic pathogens that rely on type IV pili as an important virulence factor, which is associated with adherence and biofilm formation. Pseudomonas infections are well known to be persistent and resilient in nature largely because of the tendency of the species to form biofilms. This study aimed at analyzing environmental strains of Pseudomonas genus with respect to their ability to execute twitching and swarming motilities as well as with respect to their ability to form biofilms both in the presence as well as in the absence of furanone, a substance that has the potential to prevent the formation of biofilms. Strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and strains belonging to other species of the genus were analyzed. Twitching and swarming motility assays and biofilm-formation assays, both in the presence as well as in the absence of furanone, were performed. In twitching assay strains belonging to P. aeruginosa outperformed those belonging to other species. Interestingly, it was seen that the presence of furanone had a negative impact on formation of twitching and swarming motility zones. In the case of biofilm assays, it was observed that the presence of furanone resulted in an observable decrease in the degree of adhesion in 30% of the analyzed strains. Thus, from our results, it can be concluded that, as compared to other species, the strains belonging to P. aeruginosa exhibit a higher potential for twitching motility and Communicated by Djamel DRIDER. * Gertrudes Corção [email protected] 1
Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Institute of Basic Health Science, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Sarmento Leite, 500, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul CEP 90050‑170, Brazil
similar performance in swarming motility and biofilm formation. It can also be concluded that furanone has the potential to interfere with both motilities as well as with biofilm formation. Keywords Adherence · Biofilms · Pili · Pseudomonas · Swarming · Twitching
Introduction Owing to the often use of antimicrobial agents, hospitals can be considered as one amongst the many epicentres involved in dissemination and maintenance of antimicrobial resistance amongst bacterial strains. Several studies have indicated that the improper treatment and disposal of hospital wastewater is resulting in significant contamination of water bodies. Strains belonging to the Pseudomonas genus constitute the major part of microorganisms recovered from hospital sewage. Pseudomonas is a Gram-negative rod-shaped motile bacterium that contains a single flagellum and several type IV pili. Pseudomonas is considered to be an opportunistic pathogen in the case of humans primarily
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