title: Association between plasmid carrying an expanded-spectrum cephalosporin resistance and biofilm formation in Escherichia coli.
abstract: The formation of biofilm is a universal bacterial survival strategy. Biofilms occur on inert and living support in the natural environment and in industrial installations. This microenvironment leads to the horizontal transfer of genetic material between bacteria by physical contact. In order to evaluate the relationship between biofilm-forming capabilities, surface characteristics and plasmid content we purified from Salmonella a plasmid conferring resistance to cephalosporin and transferred it by electroporation to E.coli DH10B originally unable to form biofilm in inert surface. We demonstrated the association between a plasmid conferring resistance to expanded-spectrum cephalosporin and biofilm formation. We also noted that this plasmid influences the cell surface properties and cell motility.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de la Microbiologie des Aliments et des Eaux, Institut Pasteur du Maroc-Casablanca, Maroc.
authors.forename: El Mostafa
authors.initials: el M
authors.lastname: Mliji
authors.forename: Fatima
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hamadi
authors.forename: Hassan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Latrache
authors.forename: Nozha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: Abderrahman
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: El Ghmari
authors.forename: Mohammed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Timinouni
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018441:Biofilms / Q000254:growth & development*; D018550:Cephalosporin Resistance / Q000235:genetics*; D018274:Electroporation; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D009068:Movement; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics*; D012475:Salmonella / Q000235:genetics; D013499:Surface Properties; D014169:Transformation, Bacterial