title: Coaggregation between freshwater bacteria within biofilm and planktonic communities.
abstract: The coaggregation ability of bacteria isolated from a freshwater biofilm was compared to those derived from the coexisting planktonic population. Twenty-nine morphologically distinct bacterial strains were isolated from a 6-month-old biofilm, established in a glass tank under high-shear conditions, and 15 distinct strains were isolated from the associated re-circulating water. All 44 strains were identified to genus or species level by 16S rDNA sequencing. The 29 biofilm strains belonged to 14 genera and 23.4% of all the possible pair-wise combinations coaggregated. The 15 planktonic strains belonged to seven genera and only 5.8% of all the possible pair-wise combinations coaggregated. Therefore, compared to the planktonic population, a greater proportion of the biofilm strains coaggregated. It is proposed that coaggregation influences biofilm formation and species diversity in freshwater under high shear.
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manchester University, Coupland III Building, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK. arickard@aol.com
authors.forename: A H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Rickard
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: McBain
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Ledder
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Handley
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gilbert
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D018407:Bacterial Physiological Phenomena; D018441:Biofilms / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D002241:Carbohydrates / Q000494:pharmacology; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics; D005618:Fresh Water; D010802:Phylogeny; D010933:Plankton / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000502:physiology; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D012212:Rheology; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D013045:Species Specificity; D014871:Water Microbiology
chemical_list: D002241:Carbohydrates; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S