title: Flocculation of Escherichia coli Cells in Association with Enhanced Production of Outer Membrane Vesicles.
abstract: Microbial flocculation is a phenomenon of aggregation of dispersed bacterial cells in the form of flocs or flakes. In this study, the mechanism of spontaneous flocculation of Escherichia coli cells by overexpression of the bcsB gene was investigated. The flocculation induced by overexpression of bcsB was consistent among the various E. coli strains examined, including the K-12, B, and O strains, with flocs that resembled paper scraps in structure being about 1 to 2 mm. The distribution of green fluorescent protein-labeled E. coli cells within the floc structure was investigated by three-dimensional confocal laser scanning microscopy. Flocs were sensitive to proteinase K, indicating that the main component of the flocs was proteinous. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and nano-liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry analyses of the flocs strongly suggested the involvement of outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) in E. coli flocculation. The involvement of OMVs in flocculation was supported by transmission electron microscopy observation of flocs. Furthermore, bcsB-induced E. coli flocculation was greatly suppressed in strains with hypovesiculation phenotypes (ΔdsbA and ΔdsbB strains). Thus, our results demonstrate the strong correlation between spontaneous flocculation and enhanced OMV production of E. coli cells.
authors.affiliation: Division of Chemical Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka, Japan ojima@cheng.es.osaka-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Yoshihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ojima
authors.affiliation: Division of Chemical Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Minh Hong
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.affiliation: Division of Chemical Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Reiki
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yajima
authors.affiliation: Division of Chemical Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Masahito
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Taya
mesh_terms: D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005427:Flocculation; D022161:Transport Vesicles / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins