title: Filamentous Bacteriophage Promote Biofilm Assembly and Function.
abstract: Biofilms-communities of bacteria encased in a polymer-rich matrix-confer bacteria with the ability to persist in pathologic host contexts, such as the cystic fibrosis (CF) airways. How bacteria assemble polymers into biofilms is largely unknown. We find that the extracellular matrix produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa self-assembles into a liquid crystal through entropic interactions between polymers and filamentous Pf bacteriophages, which are long, negatively charged filaments. This liquid crystalline structure enhances biofilm function by increasing adhesion and tolerance to desiccation and antibiotics. Pf bacteriophages are prevalent among P. aeruginosa clinical isolates and were detected in CF sputum. The addition of Pf bacteriophage to sputum polymers or serum was sufficient to drive their rapid assembly into viscous liquid crystals. Fd, a related bacteriophage of Escherichia coli, has similar biofilm-building capabilities. Targeting filamentous bacteriophage or the liquid crystalline organization of the biofilm matrix may represent antibacterial strategies.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Medicine and Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA. Electronic address: psecor@uw.edu.
authors.forename: Patrick R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Secor
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Stanford Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
authors.forename: Johanna M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Sweere
authors.affiliation: Departments of Medicine and Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
authors.forename: Lia A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Michaels
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
authors.forename: Andrey V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Malkovskiy
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lazzareschi
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
authors.forename: Ethan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Katznelson
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
authors.forename: Jayakumar
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rajadas
authors.affiliation: Stanford Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
authors.forename: Michael E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Birnbaum
authors.affiliation: Benaroya Research Institute, Seattle, WA 98101, USA.
authors.forename: Allison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arrigoni
authors.affiliation: Benaroya Research Institute, Seattle, WA 98101, USA.
authors.forename: Kathleen R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Braun
authors.affiliation: Benaroya Research Institute, Seattle, WA 98101, USA.
authors.forename: Stephen P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Evanko
authors.affiliation: California Institute for Medical Research, San Jose, CA 95128, USA.
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Stevens
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
authors.forename: Werner
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kaminsky
authors.affiliation: Departments of Medicine and Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
authors.forename: Pradeep K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine (Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine), Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA.
authors.forename: William C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Parks
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
authors.forename: Paul L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Bollyky
mesh_terms: D000617:Aminoglycosides / Q000494:pharmacology; D018441:Biofilms / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development*; D003550:Cystic Fibrosis / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D017912:Inovirus / Q000502:physiology*; D011108:Polymers / Q000378:metabolism*; D011552:Pseudomonas Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D017105:Pseudomonas Phages / Q000502:physiology*; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology* / Q000821:virology*; D013559:Symbiosis
chemical_list: D000617:Aminoglycosides; D011108:Polymers; C422409:liquid crystal polymer