Expression profiling of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in chronic wound exudate media
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ABSTRACT: Transcriptomic, metabolomic, physiological, and computational modeling approaches were integrated to gain insight into the mechanisms of antibiotic tolerance in an in vitro biofilm system. Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms were grown in drip-flow reactors on a medium composed to mimic the exudate from a chronic wound (CWE). After 72 hours, the biofilms were treated with CWE (control biofilms) or CWE containing ciprofloxacin (treated biofilms) for an additional 24 hours. Planktonic samples were cultivated to early logarithmic phase in CWE. The biofilm specific growth rate was estimated via elemental balances to be approximately 0.37 h-1, or one-third of the planktonic maximum specific growth rate. Global analysis of gene expression indicated decreased anabolic activity in biofilms compared to planktonic cells. A focused transcriptomic analysis revealed the induction of multiple stress responses in biofilm cells, including those associated with growth arrest, zinc limitation, hypoxia, and acyl-homoserine lactone quorum sensing.
Project description:Background. Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough is a sulfate-reducing bacterium (SRB) that is intensively studied in the context of metal corrosion and heavy-metal bioremediation, and SRB populations are commonly observed in pipe and subsurface environments as surface-associated populations. In order to elucidate physiological changes associated with biofilm growth at both the transcript and protein level, transcriptomic and proteomic analyses were done on mature biofilm cells and compared to both batch and reactor planktonic populations. The biofilms were cultivated with lactate and sulfate in a continiouslly fed biofilm reactor, and compared to both batch and reactor planktonic populations. The functional genomic analysis demonstrated that biofilm cells were different compared to planktonic cells, and the majority of altered abundances for genes and proteins were annotated as hypothetical (unknown function), energy conservation, amino acid metabolism, and signal transduction. Genes and proteins that showed similar trends in detected levels were particularly involved in energy conservation such as increases in an annotated ech hydrogenase, formate dehydrogenase, pyruvate:ferredoxin oxidoreductase, and rnf oxidoreductase, and the biofilm cells had elevated formate dehydrogenase activity. Several other hydrogenases and formate dehydrogenases also showed an increased protein level, while decreased transcript and protein levels were observed for putative coo hydrogenases as well as a lactate permease and hyp hydrogenases for biofilm cells. Genes annotated for amino acid synthesis and nitrogen utilization were also predominant changers within the biofilm state. Ribosomal transcripts and proteins were notably decreased within the biofilm cells compared to exponential-phase cells but were not as low as levels observed in planktonic, stationary-phase cells. Several putative, extracellular proteins (DVU1012, 1545) were also detected in the extracellular fraction from biofilm cells. Even though both the planktonic and biofilm cells were oxidizing lactate and reducing sulfate, the biofilm cells were physiologically distinct compared to planktonic growth states due to altered abundances of genes/proteins involved in carbon/energy flow and extracellular structures. In addition, average expression values for multiple rRNA transcripts and respiratory activity measurements indicated that biofilm cells were metabolically more similar to exponential-phase cells although biofilm cells are structured differently. The characterization of physiological advantages and constraints of the biofilm growth state for sulfate-reducing bacteria will provide insight into bioremediation applications as well as microbially-induced metal corrosion. Biofilms grown in reactors were compared to reference samples of reactor, planktonic and batch, planktonic. Each sample had a biological triplicate.
Project description:The physiological and transcriptional response of Nitrosomonas europaea biofilms to phenol and toluene was examined and compared to suspended cells. Biofilms were grown in Drip Flow Biofilm Reactors under continuous flow conditions of growth medium containing ammonia as growth substrate. The responses of N. europaea biofilms to the aromatic hydrocarbons phenol and toluene were determined during short-term (3 h) additions of each compound to the biofilms. Ammonia oxidation in the biofilms was inhibited 50% by 60 uM phenol and 100 uM toluene. These concentrations were chosen for microarray analysis of phenol- and toluene-exposed N. europaea biofilms. Liquid batch cultures of exponentially growing N. europaea cells were harvested alongside the biofilms to determine differential gene expression between attached and suspended growth of N. europaea. Four sample groups of N. europaea cells were used in this study, with biological triplicates of each group. Groups were: Control (untreated) biofilms, phenol-exposed biofilms, toluene-exposed biofilms, and exponentially growing suspended cells. Biofilms were grown in Drip Flow Biofilm Reactors containing 4 independent growth channels and subject to 2 hour inhibition tests. During each experiment, 2 biofilm channels served as control with no inhibitor present and the other 2 biofilm channels were exposed to either 60 uM phenol or 100 uM toluene. Nitrite production was monitored throughout the experiment, and the given concentrations of phenol and toluene resulted in 50% inhibition of ammonia oxidation by the biofilms. Suspended cells were grown in batch reactors. Three 4-plex NimbleGen microarray chips were used, and each chip contained one sample from each experimental group. QC of samples was determined by spectrophotometric methods and using Agilent bioanalyzer traces to determine purity and integrity of RNA and cDNA. A sample tracking report was used to verify the correct hybridization of each sample to the intended array.
Project description:The plant pathogen Agrobacterium tumefaciens attaches to and forms biofilms on both biotic and abiotic surfaces. The transition between free-living, planktonic A. tumefaciens and multicellular biofilms is regulated by several well-defined environmental and nutritional inputs, including pH, oxygen tension, and phosphate concentration. In many bacterial species limiting iron levels inhibit attachment and biofilm formation. We demonstrate that A. tumefaciens biofilm formation is reduced under limiting iron conditions. Treatment of A. tumefaciens cultures with EDDHA, an iron-specific extracellular chelator, inhibited both planktonic growth rate and adherent biomass. These effects were reversed upon addition of exogenous ferrous iron. This reduced biofilm formation effect is independent of the known iron-responsive regulators Irr and RirA. Transcriptome analysis comparing gene expression under iron-replete versus iron-deficient conditions identified hundreds of genes that are differentially regulated. Downregulated genes suggest an iron sparing response.
Project description:Transcriptome analysis was applied to characterize the physiological activities of Psuedomonas aeruginosa cells grown for three days in drip flow biofilm reactors when compared to the activities of P. aeruginosa grown planktonically to exponential phase in the same media. Here, rather than examining the effect of an individual gene on biofilm antibiotic tolerance, we used a transcriptomics approach to identify regulons and groups of related genes that are induced during biofilm growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. We then tested for statistically significant overlap between the biofilm-induced genes and independently compiled gene lists corresponding to stress responses and other putative antibiotic protective mechanisms. This data was evaluated and used to select strains that carry transposon mutations in genes that might play a role in antibiotic tolerance of biofilms. The strains were evaluated for defects in biofilm tolerance. One planktonic condition with four biological replicates; One drip flow biofilm condition grown for 72 hours with three biological replicates; One drip flow biofilm condition grown for 84 hours with three biological replicates.
Project description:The plant pathogen Agrobacterium tumefaciens attaches to and forms biofilms on both biotic and abiotic surfaces. The transition between free-living, planktonic A. tumefaciens and multicellular biofilms is regulated by several well-defined environmental and nutritional inputs, including pH, oxygen tension, and phosphate concentration. In many bacterial species limiting iron levels inhibit attachment and biofilm formation. We demonstrate that A. tumefaciens biofilm formation is reduced under limiting iron conditions. Treatment of A. tumefaciens cultures with EDDHA, an iron-specific extracellular chelator, inhibited both planktonic growth rate and adherent biomass. These effects were reversed upon addition of exogenous ferrous iron. This reduced biofilm formation effect is independent of the known iron-responsive regulators Irr and RirA. Transcriptome analysis comparing gene expression under iron-replete versus iron-deficient conditions identified hundreds of genes that are differentially regulated. Downregulated genes suggest an iron sparing response. Four biological replicates, independent RNA preparations, one dye swap.
Project description:In this work we have demonstrated increased mutability of Staphylococcus aureus and S. epidermidis in biofilms and have explored the mechanisms underlying the enhanced mutability. A novel static biofilm model, utilising cellulose filter disks, was developed to support the formation of mature biofilms with sufficiently high cell densities to permit determination of mutation frequencies. The mutability of biofilm cultures increased up to 60 fold and 4 fold for S. aureus and S. epidermidis, respectively, compared with planktonic cultures. Incorporation of antioxidants into S. aureus biofilms reduced mutation frequencies, indicating that increased oxidative stress underlies increased mutability in the biofilm. Transcriptional profiling revealed upregulation of the superoxide dismutase gene, sodA, in early biofilm cultures, also suggesting enhanced oxidative stress in these cultures. However, loss of the genes encoding superoxide dismutases or peroxidases did not specifically exacerabate biofilm mutability. In S. aureus SH1000, hydrogen peroxide was found to contribute to biofilm mutability. Three growth conditions (18 hr planktonic growth, 48 hr biofilm growth and 144 biofilm growth) of which there are three biological replicates of each
Project description:Transition of microbial growth from planktonic to biofilm is associated with programmed changes in the global patterns of gene expression. These changes are likely to faciliate the appropriate physiological and metabolic adjustments that bacteria need to make during the development of biofilms. Using microarrays we have examined the changes in pattern of gene expression associated with growth of Mycobacterium smegmatis in various stages of planktonic and biofilm cultures. Keywords: developmental time course
Project description:Biofilm formation and type III secretion have been shown to be reciprocally regulated in P. aeruginosa, and it has been suggested that factors related to acute infection may be incompatible; with biofilm formation. We investigated how growth conditions influence the production of virulence factors by studying the inter-relationships between colonies, biofilms and planktonic cells. We found that biofilms in our growth conditions express the type III secretion and these lifestyles are therefore not mutually exclusive in P. aeruginosa. Experiment Overall Design: Pseudomonas aeruginosa cells grown in five different conditions were analysed with three biological replicates for each sample. The five different conditions were planktonic cells in exponential phase, planktonic cells in stationary phase, colonies on agar plates incubated for 15 or 40 hours and biofilms in a continuous flow system after three days of growth.
Project description:Bacteria assume distinct lifestyles during the planktonic and biofilm modes of growth. In biofilms, they are more tolerant to antibiotics and can evade the immune system response more effectively. However, little is known regarding the molecular determinants involved in biofilm formation by Gardnerella vaginali, the predominant species found in bacterial vaginosis (BV). Hence, to gain insight into the pathogenesis of G. vaginalis, we carried out a comparative transcriptomic analysis between planktonic and biofilm phenotypes, using RNA-sequencing. The major alterations observed were related with the transcription of genes involved in cell wall biogenesis and typical stress factors, in which was found significantly up-regulated in biofilms, resulting in a protected mode of bacterial growth. In addition, biofilm phenotype was characterized by low metabolic activity, which is appropriate to guarantee long term survival during BV recurrence.
Project description:The physiological and transcriptional response of Nitrosomonas europaea biofilms to phenol and toluene was examined and compared to suspended cells. Biofilms were grown in Drip Flow Biofilm Reactors under continuous flow conditions of growth medium containing ammonia as growth substrate. The responses of N. europaea biofilms to the aromatic hydrocarbons phenol and toluene were determined during short-term (3 h) additions of each compound to the biofilms. Ammonia oxidation in the biofilms was inhibited 50% by 60 uM phenol and 100 uM toluene. These concentrations were chosen for microarray analysis of phenol- and toluene-exposed N. europaea biofilms. Liquid batch cultures of exponentially growing N. europaea cells were harvested alongside the biofilms to determine differential gene expression between attached and suspended growth of N. europaea.