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Volume 160, Issue 6

Insights into s biofilm formation: aggregation, microcolony development and the role of extracellular DNA Free

Abstract

Biofilm formation is a critical component to the lifestyle of many naturally occurring cellulose-degrading microbes. In this work, cellular aggregation and biofilm formation of , a cellulolytic anaerobic bacterium, was investigated using a combination of microscopy and analytical techniques. Aggregates included thread-like linkages and a DNA/protein-rich extracellular matrix when grown on soluble cellobiose. Similar dense biofilms formed on the surface of the model cellulosic substrate Whatman no. 1 filter paper. Following initially dispersed attachment, microcolonies of ~500 µm diameter formed on the filter paper after 6 days. Enzymic treatment of both the biofilm and cellular aggregates with DNase and proteinase resulted in significant loss of rigidity, pointing to the key role of extracellular DNA and proteins in the biofilm structure. A high-throughput biofilm assay was adapted for studying potential regulators of biofilm formation. Various media manipulations were shown to greatly impact biofilm formation, including repression in the presence of glucose but not the β(1→4)-linked disaccharide cellobiose, implicating a balance of hydrolytic activity and assimilation to maintain biofilm integrity. Using the microtitre plate biofilm assay, DNase and proteinase dispersed ~60 and 30 % of mature biofilms, respectively, whilst RNase had no impact. This work suggests that has evolved a DNA/protein-rich biofilm matrix complementing its cellulolytic nature. These insights add to our current understanding of natural ecosystems as well as strategies for efficient bioprocess design.

  • Received:
  • Accepted:
  • Published Online:
Funding
This study was supported by the:
  • DOE Advanced Research Project Agency – Energy (Award DE-AR0000092)
  • John and Jeannette McWhirter Fellowship
  • National Science Foundation GRFP Fellowship (Award DGE1255832)
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2014-06-01
2024-04-25
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Insights into Clostridium phytofermentans biofilm formation: aggregation, microcolony development and the role of extracellular DNA
Microbiology 160, 1134 (2014); https://doi.org/10.1099/mic.0.078014-0
/content/journal/micro/10.1099/mic.0.078014-0
/content/journal/micro/10.1099/mic.0.078014-0
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