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Journal of Bacteriology, January 2004, p. 226-234, Vol. 186, No. 1
0021-9193/04/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/JB.186.1.226-234.2004
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Inactivation of ompX Causes Increased Interactions of Type 1 Fimbriated Escherichia coli with Abiotic Surfaces

Karen Otto* and Malte Hermansson

Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Microbiology, Göteborg University, Göteborg, Sweden

Received 21 July 2003/ Accepted 3 October 2003

During the initial steps of biofilm formation, bacteria have to adapt to a major change in their environment. The adhesion-induced phenotypic changes in a type 1 fimbriated Escherichia coli strain included reductions in the levels of several outer membrane proteins, one of which was identified as OmpX. Here, the phenotypes of mutant strains that differ at the ompX locus were studied with regard to adhesion, cell surface properties, and resistance to stress and antimicrobial compounds. The kinetics of adhesion were measured online by an extended quartz crystal microbalance technique for wild-type and mutant strains with a fimbriated or nonfimbriated background. Deletion of ompX led to significantly increased cell-surface contact in fimbriated strains but to decreased cell-surface contact in a nonfimbriated strain. Phenotypic characterization of the ompX mutant demonstrated that ompX interferes with proper regulation of cell surface structures that play a key role in mediating firm contact of the cell with a surface (i.e., type 1 fimbriae, flagellae, and exopolysaccharides). These phenotypic changes were accompanied by increased tolerance to several antibiotic compounds and sodium dodecyl sulfate. Based on these results, we propose that changes in the composition of outer membrane proteins during fimbria-mediated adhesion may be part of a coordinated adaptive response to the attached mode of growth.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Microbiology, Göteborg University, Göteborg, Sweden. Phone: 46-31-7732580. Fax: 46-31-7732599. E-mail: Karen.Otto{at}gmm.gu.se.

Journal of Bacteriology, January 2004, p. 226-234, Vol. 186, No. 1
0021-9193/04/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/JB.186.1.226-234.2004
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



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