Journal of Biotechnology & Biomaterials
Open Access

Abstract

Shewanella oneidensis is a metal-reducing bacterium capable of respiring on metal ions and metal oxides. Biofilms of S. oneidensis play an important role in many environmentaland biotechnological processes. However, controlling biofilmbased bioprocesses is very challenging. In our study, an adhesin protein BpfA with unusual molecular weight was identified as a biofilm promoting factor using the transposon mutagenesis screening. Although BpfA has been reported in previous study, its dynamic functions in biofilm formation in particular non--adhesive role are still largely unknown. Therefore, the role of BpfA to biofilm formation in flow chambers was monitored using quartz crystal microbalance-dissipation (QCM-D). The regulatory function of BpfA was analyzed by RNAseq. Our results showed that BpfA promotes the initial biofilm formation by enhancing Ca2+-dependent cell aggregation; BpfA promotes the formation of 3-D structure in dynamic condition and RNAseq results showed that BpfA is involved in regulating the expression of genes involved in biofilm formation including those responsible for cell motility, polysaccharides and cyclic diguanylate (c-di-GMP) synthesis. Taken together, this study reveals that the function of BpfA in biofilm formation under hydrodynamic condition and uncovers for the first time a potential regulatory function of BpfA in biofilm formation.

Biography