This Article Full Text (PDF) Other Versions of this Article: JB.01569-06v1 189/6/2319    most recent Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Fong, J. C. N. Articles by Yildiz, F. H. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Fong, J. C. N. Articles by Yildiz, F. H.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

J. Bacteriol. doi:10.1128/JB.01569-06
Copyright (c) 2007, American Society for Microbiology and/or the Listed Authors/Institutions. All Rights Reserved.

The rbmBCDEF Gene Cluster Modulates Development of Rugose Colony Morphology and Biofilm Formation in Vibrio cholerae

Department of Environmental Toxicology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California 95064

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. Email: yildiz{at}etox.ucsc.edu.

	Abstract

Vibrio cholerae, the causative agent of cholera, can undergo phenotypic variation generating rugose and smooth variants. The rugose variant forms corrugated colonies, well-developed biofilms and exhibits increased levels of resistance to several environmental stresses. Many of these phenotypes are mediated in part by increased expression of the vps genes that are organized into vps-I and vps-II coding regions, separated by an intergenic region. In this study, we generated in-frame deletions of the five genes located in the vps intergenic region, termed rbmB-F (rugosity and biofilm structure modulators B-F) in the rugose genetic background, and characterized the mutants for rugose colony development and biofilm formation. Deletion of rbmB, which encodes a protein with low sequence homology to polysaccharide hydrolases, resulted in an increase in colony corrugation and accumulation of exopolysaccharides relative to the rugose variant. RbmC and its homolog Bap1 are predicted to encode proteins with carbohydrate-binding domains. The colonies of rbmC bap1 double deletion mutant and bap1 single deletion mutant exhibited a decrease in colony corrugation. Furthermore, the rbmC bap1 double deletion mutant was unable to form biofilms at the air-liquid interface after 2 days, while the biofilms formed on solid surfaces detached readily. Although the colony morphology of rbmDEF mutants was similar to that of the rugose variant, their biofilm structure and cell aggregation phenotypes were different than those of the rugose variant. Taken together, these results indicate that vps intergenic region genes encode proteins that are involved in biofilm matrix production and maintenance of biofilm structure and stability.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Fong, J. C. N., Yildiz, F. H. (2008). Interplay between Cyclic AMP-Cyclic AMP Receptor Protein and Cyclic di-GMP Signaling in Vibrio cholerae Biofilm Formation. J. Bacteriol. 190: 6646-6659 [Abstract] [Full Text]