Genes involved in the synthesis and degradation of matrix polysaccharide in Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans and Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae biofilms

J Bacteriol. 2004 Dec;186(24):8213-20. doi: 10.1128/JB.186.24.8213-8220.2004.

Abstract

Biofilms are composed of bacterial cells embedded in an extracellular polysaccharide matrix. A major component of the Escherichia coli biofilm matrix is PGA, a linear polymer of N-acetyl-D-glucosamine residues in beta(1,6) linkage. PGA mediates intercellular adhesion and attachment of cells to abiotic surfaces. In this report, we present genetic and biochemical evidence that PGA is also a major matrix component of biofilms produced by the human periodontopathogen Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans and the porcine respiratory pathogen Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae. We also show that PGA is a substrate for dispersin B, a biofilm-releasing glycosyl hydrolase produced by A. actinomycetemcomitans, and that an orthologous dispersin B enzyme is produced by A. pleuropneumoniae. We further show that A. actinomycetemcomitans PGA cross-reacts with antiserum raised against polysaccharide intercellular adhesin, a staphylococcal biofilm matrix polysaccharide that is genetically and structurally related to PGA. Our findings confirm that PGA functions as a biofilm matrix polysaccharide in phylogenetically diverse bacterial species and suggest that PGA may play a role in intercellular adhesion and cellular detachment and dispersal in A. actinomycetemcomitans and A. pleuropneumoniae biofilms.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Acetylglucosamine / chemistry
  • Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae / genetics
  • Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae / growth & development
  • Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae / metabolism*
  • Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans / genetics
  • Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans / growth & development
  • Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans / metabolism*
  • Animals
  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics*
  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism
  • Biofilms / growth & development*
  • Genes, Bacterial*
  • Humans
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Polysaccharides, Bacterial / biosynthesis
  • Polysaccharides, Bacterial / chemistry
  • Polysaccharides, Bacterial / metabolism*
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Polysaccharides, Bacterial
  • Acetylglucosamine

Associated data

  • GENBANK/AY438014
  • GENBANK/AY618480
  • GENBANK/AY618481