title: Identification of Tn10 insertions in the dsbA gene affecting Escherichia coli biofilm formation.
abstract: Escherichia coli was used as model to study initial adhesion and early biofilm development to an abiotic surface. Tn10 insertion mutants with reduced attachment to a polystyrene surface were isolated. Three adhesion mutants harbored the transposon in the dsbA gene, whose product, DsbA, catalyses folding of numerous extracytoplasmic disulfide bond-containing proteins. All three mutants were weakly adherent and grew poorly. Cell surface structure analysis showed that motility. type 1 fimbriation and lipopolysaccharide structure were affected in these mutants. The pleiotropic effect of the dsbA mutations on biofilm formation is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, Free University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands. pierre@bio.vu.nl
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Genevaux
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bauda
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: DuBow
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Oudega
mesh_terms: D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D018441:Biofilms / Q000254:growth & development*; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D010861:Fimbriae, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D009154:Mutation; D019897:Periplasm; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D011137:Polystyrenes; D019704:Protein Disulfide-Isomerases / Q000235:genetics*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D011137:Polystyrenes; D019704:Protein Disulfide-Isomerases