Appendage-mediated surface adherence of Sulfolobus solfataricus.
Attachment of microorganisms to surfaces is a prerequisite for colonization and biofilm formation. The hyperthermophilic crenarchaeote Sulfolobus solfataricus was able to attach to a variety of surfaces, such as glass, mica, pyrite, and carbon-coated gold grids. Deletion mutant analysis showed that for initial attachment the presence of flagella and pili is essential. Attached cells produced extracellular polysaccharides containing mannose, galactose, and N-acetylglucosamine. Genes possibly involved in the production of the extracellular polysaccharides were identified.
Independent Junior Research Group Molecular Biology of Archaea, Max-Planck-Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Karl-von-Frisch-Strasse, 35043 Marburg, Germany.
Behnam
B
Zolghadr
Andreas
A
Klingl
Andrea
A
Koerdt
Arnold J M
AJ
Driessen
Reinhard
R
Rachel
Sonja-Verena
SV
Albers
D000117:Acetylglucosamine / Q000737:chemistry; D019843:Archaeal Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D005407:Flagella / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005690:Galactose / Q000737:chemistry; D019848:Gene Expression Regulation, Archaeal / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D008358:Mannose / Q000737:chemistry; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D048229:Sulfolobus solfataricus / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure
D019843:Archaeal Proteins; D011134:Polysaccharides; D008358:Mannose; D000117:Acetylglucosamine; D005690:Galactose