The bacterium Leptothrix cholodnii generates filaments encased in a sheath comprised of woven nanofibrils. In static liquid culture, L. cholodnii moves toward the air-liquid interface, where it forms porous pellicles. Observations of aggregation at the interface reveal that clusters consisting of only a few bacteria primarily grow by netting free cells. These growing clusters hierarchically enlarge through the random docking of other small clusters. We find that the bacteria swim using their polar flagellum toward the interface, where their sheath assists them in intertwining with others and thereby promotes the formation of small clusters. In contrast, sheathless hydrophobic mutant cells get stuck to the interface. We find that the nanofibril sheath is vital for robust pellicle formation as it lowers cell surface hydrophobicity by 60%, thereby reducing their adsorption and enabling cells to move toward and stick together at the air-liquid interface. IMPORTANCE Efficient and sustainable management of water resources is becoming a fundamental issue for supporting growing populations and for developing economic activity. Fundamental to this management is the treatment of wastewater. Microorganisms are the active component of activated sludge that is employed in the biodegradation process of many wastewater treatment facilities. However, uncontrolled growth of filamentous bacteria such as Sphaerotilus often results in filamentous bulking, lowering the efficiency of water treatment systems. To prevent this undesirable condition, strategies based on a fundamental understanding of the ecology of filamentous bacteria are required. Although the filamentous bacterium Leptothrix cholodnii, which is closely related to Sphaerotilus, is a minor inhabitant of activated sludge, its complete genome sequence is known, making gene manipulation relatively easy. Moreover, L. cholodnii generates porous pellicles under static conditions, which may be a characteristic of filamentous bulking. We show that both swimming motility and nanofibril-mediated air-liquid interface attachment are required for porous pellicle formation. These insights are critical for a better understanding of the characteristics of filamentous bulking and might improve strategies to control activated sludge.
Keywords: Leptothrix; cell hydrophobicity; filamentous bacterium; flagellar motility; pellicle; sheath structure.