Dispersed cells represent a distinct stage in the transition from bacterial biofilm to planktonic lifestyles

Song Lin Chua; Yang Liu; Joey Kuok Hoong Yam; Yicai Chen; Rebecca Munk Vejborg; Bryan Giin Chyuan Tan; Staffan Kjelleberg; Tim Tolker-Nielsen; Michael Givskov; Liang Yang

doi:10.1038/ncomms5462

Dispersed cells represent a distinct stage in the transition from bacterial biofilm to planktonic lifestyles

Song Lin Chua, Yang Liu, Joey Kuok Hoong Yam, Yicai Chen, Rebecca Munk Vejborg, Bryan Giin Chyuan Tan, Staffan Kjelleberg, Tim Tolker-Nielsen, Michael Givskov, Liang Yang

159 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Bacteria assume distinct lifestyles during the planktonic and biofilm modes of growth. Increased levels of the intracellular messenger c-di-GMP determine the transition from planktonic to biofilm growth, while a reduction causes biofilm dispersal. It is generally assumed that cells dispersed from biofilms immediately go into the planktonic growth phase. Here we use single-nucleotide resolution transcriptomic analysis to show that the physiology of dispersed cells from Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms is highly different from those of planktonic and biofilm cells. In dispersed cells, the expression of the small regulatory RNAs RsmY and RsmZ is downregulated, whereas secretion genes are induced. Dispersed cells are highly virulent against macrophages and Caenorhabditis elegans compared with planktonic cells. In addition, they are highly sensitive towards iron stress, and the combination of a biofilm-dispersing agent, an iron chelator and tobramycin efficiently reduces the survival of the dispersed cells.

Original language	English
Article number	4462
Journal	Nature Communications
Volume	5
Pages (from-to)	1-12
Number of pages	13
ISSN	2041-1723
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms5462
Publication status	Published - 21 Jul 2014

Access to Document

10.1038/ncomms5462

Cite this

@article{c785a926925447db887fd65375b37d53,

title = "Dispersed cells represent a distinct stage in the transition from bacterial biofilm to planktonic lifestyles",

abstract = "Bacteria assume distinct lifestyles during the planktonic and biofilm modes of growth. Increased levels of the intracellular messenger c-di-GMP determine the transition from planktonic to biofilm growth, while a reduction causes biofilm dispersal. It is generally assumed that cells dispersed from biofilms immediately go into the planktonic growth phase. Here we use single-nucleotide resolution transcriptomic analysis to show that the physiology of dispersed cells from Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms is highly different from those of planktonic and biofilm cells. In dispersed cells, the expression of the small regulatory RNAs RsmY and RsmZ is downregulated, whereas secretion genes are induced. Dispersed cells are highly virulent against macrophages and Caenorhabditis elegans compared with planktonic cells. In addition, they are highly sensitive towards iron stress, and the combination of a biofilm-dispersing agent, an iron chelator and tobramycin efficiently reduces the survival of the dispersed cells.",

author = "Chua, {Song Lin} and Yang Liu and Yam, {Joey Kuok Hoong} and Yicai Chen and Vejborg, {Rebecca Munk} and Tan, {Bryan Giin Chyuan} and Staffan Kjelleberg and Tim Tolker-Nielsen and Michael Givskov and Liang Yang",

year = "2014",

month = jul,

day = "21",

doi = "10.1038/ncomms5462",

language = "English",

volume = "5",

pages = "1--12",

journal = "Nature Communications",

issn = "2041-1723",

publisher = "nature publishing group",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Dispersed cells represent a distinct stage in the transition from bacterial biofilm to planktonic lifestyles

AU - Chua, Song Lin

AU - Liu, Yang

AU - Yam, Joey Kuok Hoong

AU - Chen, Yicai

AU - Vejborg, Rebecca Munk

AU - Tan, Bryan Giin Chyuan

AU - Kjelleberg, Staffan

AU - Tolker-Nielsen, Tim

AU - Givskov, Michael

AU - Yang, Liang

PY - 2014/7/21

Y1 - 2014/7/21

N2 - Bacteria assume distinct lifestyles during the planktonic and biofilm modes of growth. Increased levels of the intracellular messenger c-di-GMP determine the transition from planktonic to biofilm growth, while a reduction causes biofilm dispersal. It is generally assumed that cells dispersed from biofilms immediately go into the planktonic growth phase. Here we use single-nucleotide resolution transcriptomic analysis to show that the physiology of dispersed cells from Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms is highly different from those of planktonic and biofilm cells. In dispersed cells, the expression of the small regulatory RNAs RsmY and RsmZ is downregulated, whereas secretion genes are induced. Dispersed cells are highly virulent against macrophages and Caenorhabditis elegans compared with planktonic cells. In addition, they are highly sensitive towards iron stress, and the combination of a biofilm-dispersing agent, an iron chelator and tobramycin efficiently reduces the survival of the dispersed cells.

AB - Bacteria assume distinct lifestyles during the planktonic and biofilm modes of growth. Increased levels of the intracellular messenger c-di-GMP determine the transition from planktonic to biofilm growth, while a reduction causes biofilm dispersal. It is generally assumed that cells dispersed from biofilms immediately go into the planktonic growth phase. Here we use single-nucleotide resolution transcriptomic analysis to show that the physiology of dispersed cells from Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms is highly different from those of planktonic and biofilm cells. In dispersed cells, the expression of the small regulatory RNAs RsmY and RsmZ is downregulated, whereas secretion genes are induced. Dispersed cells are highly virulent against macrophages and Caenorhabditis elegans compared with planktonic cells. In addition, they are highly sensitive towards iron stress, and the combination of a biofilm-dispersing agent, an iron chelator and tobramycin efficiently reduces the survival of the dispersed cells.

U2 - 10.1038/ncomms5462

DO - 10.1038/ncomms5462

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 25042103

SN - 2041-1723

VL - 5

SP - 1

EP - 12

JO - Nature Communications

JF - Nature Communications

M1 - 4462

ER -

Dispersed cells represent a distinct stage in the transition from bacterial biofilm to planktonic lifestyles

Abstract

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Cite this