title: Interactions of bacteria with different mechanisms for chitin degradation result in the formation of a mixed-species biofilm.
abstract: In this study, interactions between bacteria possessing either released or cell-associated enzymes for polymer degradation were investigated. For this, a co-culture of Aeromonas hydrophila strain AH-1N as an enzyme-releasing bacterium and of Flavobacterium sp. strain 4D9 as a bacterium with cell-associated enzymes was set up with chitin embedded into agarose beads to account for natural conditions, under which polymers are usually embedded in organic aggregates. In single cultures, strain AH-1N grew with embedded chitin, while strain 4D9 did not. In co-cultures, strain 4D9 grew and outcompeted strain AH-1N in the biofilm fraction. Experiments with cell-free culture supernatants containing the chitinolytic enzymes of strain AH-1N revealed that growth of strain 4D9 in the co-culture was based on intercepting N-acetylglucosamine from chitin degradation. For this, strain 4D9 had to actively integrate into the biofilm of strain AH-1N. This study shows that bacteria using different chitin degradation mechanisms can coexist by formation of a mixed-species biofilm.
authors.affiliation: Fachbereich Biologie, Mikrobielle Ökologie, Universität Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jagmann
authors.forename: Katharina Styp
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: von Rekowski
authors.forename: Bodo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Philipp
mesh_terms: D000117:Acetylglucosamine / Q000378:metabolism; D016980:Aeromonas hydrophila / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D018441:Biofilms / Q000254:growth & development*; D002686:Chitin / Q000378:metabolism*; D005417:Flavobacterium / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005618:Fresh Water / Q000382:microbiology; D056265:Microbial Interactions; D012685:Sepharose
chemical_list: D002686:Chitin; D012685:Sepharose; D000117:Acetylglucosamine