Acyl homoserine lactone recruitment of bacteria into biofilms
Date
2001-05
Authors
Windham, Mary K.
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Abstract
Acylated homoserine lactones (acyl HSLs) are membrane permeant, extracellular signaling molecules that are important in biofilm physiology and quorum sensing. As acyl HSL analogues have been shown to block adhesion, I investigated whether acyl HSLs would promote adhesion. In this study, acyl HSLs were isolated from Agrobacterium tumefaciens which produces 3-oxo-C8-HSL and Chromobacterium violaceum which produces C6-HSLs. Non acyl HSL-producing strains of these species were used as controls. Live cultures of these strains as well as non bacterial controls were placed in semipermeable dialysis tubing in the San Marcos River and assayed for biofilm growth. Biofilm colonization on the tubes was compared using standard plate counts. Each biofilm was analyzed with molecular techniques to identify the different bacterial species present and to obtain an overall community diversity of each biofilm. While the cell numbers for each biofilm did not differ significantly, the microbial diversity profiles varied.
Description
Keywords
biofilms, lactones, bacterial growth
Citation
Windham, M. K. (2001). Acyl homoserine lactone recruitment of bacteria into biofilms (Unpublished thesis). Southwest Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas.