title: Characterization of mucoid Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains isolated from technical water systems.
abstract: The occurrence of mucoid Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains was investigated in water samples and surface material from non-clinical aquatic environments. Ten of 81 environmental isolates displayed a mucoid colony type after incubation at 36 degrees C for 24 h on Pseudomonas Isolation Agar. The mucoid strains obtained exclusively from surfaces of technical water systems were characterized in terms of medium-dependent expression of mucoid colonial phenotype, exoenzyme profile, pigment production and O-antigen type. The mucoid strains secreted substantially higher quantities of carbohydrate and uronic acid-containing material compared to non-mucoid environmental isolates. Major slime components of the mucoid strains were identified as O-acetylated alginates that contained higher proportions of mannuronate than guluronate monomer residues and were composed of blocks of poly-mannuronate and poly-mannuronate/guluronate, whereas blocks of poly-guluronate were absent. The results suggest that surfaces in aquatic environments may represent a natural habitat for mucoid (i.e. alginate-overproducing) strains of Ps. aeruginosa with properties similar to clinical mucoid strains.
authors.affiliation: Rheinisch-Westfälisches Institut für Wasserchemie und Wassertechnologie GmbH, Institut an der Gerhard-Mercator-Universität-Gesamthochschule Duisburg, Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Grobe
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wingender
authors.forename: H G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Trüper
mesh_terms: D000464:Alginates / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local / Q000494:pharmacology; D018441:Biofilms; D002224:Carbanilides / Q000494:pharmacology; D002241:Carbohydrates / Q000737:chemistry; D003470:Culture Media; D004783:Environmental Microbiology; D020723:Glucuronic Acid; D006603:Hexuronic Acids; D007930:Leucine / Q000378:metabolism; D010641:Phenotype; D010860:Pigments, Biological / Q000096:biosynthesis; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000145:classification* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology; D012703:Serotyping; D014574:Uronic Acids / Q000737:chemistry; D014871:Water Microbiology
chemical_list: D000464:Alginates; D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local; D002224:Carbanilides; D002241:Carbohydrates; D003470:Culture Media; D006603:Hexuronic Acids; D010860:Pigments, Biological; D014574:Uronic Acids; D020723:Glucuronic Acid; D007930:Leucine; C005055:cloflucarban