The Pel and Psl Polysaccharides provide Pseudomonas aeruginosa Structural Redundancy within the Biofilm Matrix

Author(s)

Kelly M. Colvin, University of Washington - Seattle Campus
Yasuhiko Irie, University of DaytonFollow
Catherine S. Tart, University of Washington - Seattle Campus
Rodolfo Urbano, University of Washington - Seattle Campus
John C. Whitney, University of Toronto
Cynthia Ryder, Lincoln Memorial University
P. Lynne Howell, University of Toronto
Daniel J. Wozniak, The Ohio State University
Matthew R. Parsek, University of Washington - Seattle Campus

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

8-2012

Publication Source

Environmental Microbiology

Abstract

Extracellular polysaccharides comprise a major component of the biofilm matrix. Many species that are adept at biofilm formation have the capacity to produce multiple types of polysaccharides. Pseudomonas aeruginosa produces at least three extracellular polysaccharides, alginate, Pel and Psl, that have been implicated in biofilm development. Non-mucoid strains can use either Pel or Psl as the primary matrix structural polysaccharide. In this study, we evaluated a range of clinical and environmental P. aeruginosa isolates for their dependence on Pel and Psl for biofilm development. Mutational analysis demonstrates that Psl plays an important role in surface attachment for most isolates. However, there was significant strain-to-strain variability in the contribution of Pel and Psl to mature biofilm structure. This analysis led us to propose four classes of strains based upon their Pel and Psl functional and expression profiles. Our data also suggest that Pel and Psl can serve redundant functions as structural scaffolds in mature biofilms. We propose that redundancy could help preserve the capacity to produce a biofilm when exopolysaccharide genes are subjected to mutation. To test this, we used PAO1, a common lab strain that primarily utilizes Psl in the matrix. As expected, a psl mutant strain initially produced a poor biofilm. After extended cultivation, we demonstrate that this strain acquired mutations that upregulated expression of the Pel polysaccharide, demonstrating the utility of having a redundant scaffold exopolysaccharide. Collectively, our studies revealed both unique and redundant roles for two distinct biofilm exopolysaccharides.

Inclusive pages

1913–1928

ISBN/ISSN

1462-2912

Comments

Permission documentation is on file.

Copyright

Copyright © 2012, John Wiley & Sons

Publisher

John Wiley & Sons

Volume

14

Peer Reviewed

yes

Issue

8

eCommons Citation

Colvin, Kelly M.; Irie, Yasuhiko; Tart, Catherine S.; Urbano, Rodolfo; Whitney, John C.; Ryder, Cynthia; Howell, P. Lynne; Wozniak, Daniel J.; and Parsek, Matthew R., "The Pel and Psl Polysaccharides provide Pseudomonas aeruginosa Structural Redundancy within the Biofilm Matrix" (2012). Biology Faculty Publications. 206.
https://ecommons.udayton.edu/bio_fac_pub/206