Flagellin and F4 fimbriae have opposite effects on biofilm formation and quorum sensing in F4ac+ enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli.
Bacteria that form biofilms are often highly resistant to antibiotics and are capable of evading the host immune system. To evaluate the role of flagellin and F4 fimbriae on biofilm formation by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC), we deleted the fliC (encoding the major flagellin protein) and/or the faeG (encoding the major subunit of F4 fimbriae) genes from ETEC C83902. Biofilm formation was reduced in the fliC mutant but increased in the faeG mutant, as compared with the wild-type strain. The expression of AI-2 quorum sensing associated genes was regulated in the fliC and faeG mutants, consistent with the biofilm formation of these strains. But, deleting fliC and/or faeG also inhibited AI-2 quorum sensing activity.
College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou 225009, China. Electronic address: zhoumingxu@outlook.com.
Mingxu
M
Zhou
College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou 225009, China. Electronic address: guozhiyan1212@sina.com.
Zhiyan
Z
Guo
College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou 225009, China. Electronic address: doubleyang360@gmail.com.
Yang
Y
Yang
College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; Agriculture College, Weinan Vocational and Technical College, Weinan 714000, China. Electronic address: dqd8358@163.com.
Qiangde
Q
Duan
College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou 225009, China. Electronic address: zhang_qi10@sina.com.
Qi
Q
Zhang
College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou 225009, China. Electronic address: fhyao@yzu.edu.cn.
Fenghua
F
Yao
College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou 225009, China. Electronic address: lzhujun@outlook.com.
Jun
J
Zhu
College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou 225009, China. Electronic address: zhangxj@yzu.edu.cn.
Xinjun
X
Zhang
College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA. Electronic address: hardwidg@vet.k-state.edu.
Philip R
PR
Hardwidge
College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou 225009, China. Electronic address: yzgqzhu@yzu.edu.cn.
Guoqiang
G
Zhu
D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D018441:Biofilms; D054307:Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D036781:Fimbriae Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005408:Flagellin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D009154:Mutation; D053038:Quorum Sensing / Q000235:genetics*
D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; C026888:K88 antigen, E coli; D005408:Flagellin; D036781:Fimbriae Proteins
Biofilm formation; F4 fimbriae; Flagellin; Quorum sensing