Engineering bacteria to form a biofilm and induce clumping in Caenorhabditis elegans

ACS Synth Biol. 2014 Dec 19;3(12):941-3. doi: 10.1021/sb4001883. Epub 2014 Feb 4.

Abstract

Bacteria are needed for a vast range of biotechnological processes, which they carry out either as pure cultures or in association with other bacteria and/or fungi. The potential of bacteria as biofactories is hampered, though, by their limited mobility in solid or semisolid media such as agricultural or domestic waste. This work represents an attempt toward overcoming this limitation by associating bacterial biotechnological properties with the transport ability of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. We report here biofilm formation on C. elegans by engineered Escherichia coli expressing a Xhenorhabdus nematophila adhesion operon and induction of nematode social feeding behavior (clumping) through an E. coli-mediated iRNA blocking on the expression of FLP-21, a neuropeptide involved in worm solitary behavior.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bioengineering / methods*
  • Biofilms
  • Caenorhabditis elegans / microbiology*
  • Caenorhabditis elegans / physiology*
  • Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / genetics
  • Escherichia coli / genetics*
  • Escherichia coli / metabolism
  • Escherichia coli / physiology
  • Feeding Behavior / physiology*
  • RNA Interference
  • Symbiosis / genetics
  • Symbiosis / physiology
  • Synthetic Biology / methods*

Substances

  • Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins