Paolo Landini

Complex Regulatory Network Controls Initial Adhesion and Biofilm Formation in Escherichia coli via Regulation of the csgD Gene

The Escherichia coli OmpR/EnvZ two-component regulatory system, which senses environmental osmolarity, also regulates biofilm formation. Up mutations in the ompR gene, such as the ompR234 mutation, stimulate laboratory strains of E. coli to grow as a biofilm community rather than in a planktonic state. In this report, we show that the OmpR234 protein promotes biofilm formation by binding the csgD promoter region and stimulating its transcription. The csgD gene encodes the transcription regulator CsgD, which in turn activates transcription of the csgBA operon encoding curli, extracellular structures involved in bacterial adhesion. Consistent with the role of the ompR gene as part of an osmolarity-sensing regulatory system, we also show that the formation of biofilm by E. coli is inhibited by increasing osmolarity in the growth medium. The ompR234 mutation counteracts adhesion inhibition by high medium osmolarity; we provide evidence that the ompR234 mutation promotes biofilm formation by strongly increasing the initial adhesion of bacteria to an abiotic surface. This increase in initial adhesion is stationary phase dependent, but it is negatively regulated by the stationary-phase-specific sigma factor RpoS. We propose that this negative regulation takes place via rpoS-dependent transcription of the transcription regulator cpxR; cpxR-mediated repression of csgB and csgD promoters is also triggered by osmolarity and by curli overproduction, in a feedback regulation loop.

σS-Dependent Gene Expression at the Onset of Stationary Phase in Escherichia coli: Function of σS-Dependent Genes and Identification of Their Promoter Sequences

The sigma(S) subunit of RNA polymerase, the product of the rpoS gene, controls the expression of genes responding to starvation and cellular stresses. Using gene array technology, we investigated rpoS-dependent expression at the onset of stationary phase in Escherichia coli grown in rich medium. Forty-one genes were expressed at significantly lower levels in an rpoS mutant derived from the MG1655 strain; for 10 of these, we also confirmed rpoS and stationary-phase dependence by reverse transcription-PCR. Only seven genes (dps, osmE, osmY, sodC, rpsV, wrbA, and yahO) had previously been recognized as rpoS dependent. Several newly identified rpoS-dependent genes are involved in the uptake and metabolism of amino acids, sugars, and iron. Indeed, the rpoS mutant strain shows severely impaired growth on some sugars such as fructose and N-acetylglucosamine. The rpoS gene controls the production of indole, which acts as a signal molecule in stationary-phase cells, via regulation of the tnaA-encoded tryptophanase enzyme. Genes involved in protein biosynthesis, encoding the ribosome-associated protein RpsV (sra) and the initiation factor IF-1 (infA), were also induced in an rpoS-dependent fashion. Using primer extension, we determined the promoter sequences of a selection of rpoS-regulated genes representative of different functional classes. Significant fractions of these promoters carry sequence features specific for Esigma(S) recognition of the -10 region, such as cytosines at positions -13 (70%) and -12 (30%) as well as a TG motif located upstream of the -10 region (50%), thus supporting the TGN(0-2)C(C/T)ATA(C/A)T consensus sequence recently proposed for sigma(S).

Molecular mechanisms of compounds affecting bacterial biofilm formation and dispersal

Bacteria can switch between planktonic forms (single cells) and biofilms, i.e., bacterial communities growing on solid surfaces and embedded in a matrix of extracellular polymeric substance. Biofilm formation by pathogenic bacteria often results in lower susceptibility to antibiotic treatments and in the development of chronic infections; thus, biofilm formation can be considered an important virulence factor. In recent years, much attention has been directed towards understanding the biology of biofilms and towards searching for inhibitors of biofilm development and of biofilm-related cellular processes. In this report, we review selected examples of target-based screening for anti-biofilm agents: We focus on inhibitors of quorum sensing, possibly the most characterized target for molecules with anti-biofilm activity, and on compounds interfering with the metabolism of the signal molecule cyclic di-GMP metabolism and on inhibitors of DNA and nucleotide biosynthesis, which represent a novel and promising class of biofilm inhibitors. Finally, we discuss the activation of biofilm dispersal as a novel mode of action for anti-biofilm compounds.

Gene Expression Regulation by the Curli Activator CsgD Protein: Modulation of Cellulose Biosynthesis and Control of Negative Determinants for Microbial Adhesion

Curli fibers, encoded by the csgBAC genes, promote biofilm formation in Escherichia coli and other enterobacteria. Curli production is dependent on the CsgD transcription activator, which also promotes cellulose biosynthesis. In this study, we investigated the effects of CsgD expression from a weak constitutive promoter in the biofilm formation-deficient PHL565 strain of E. coli. We found that despite its function as a transcription activator, the CsgD protein is localized in the cytoplasmic membrane. Constitutive CsgD expression promotes biofilm formation by PHL565 and activates transcription from the csgBAC promoter; however, csgBAC expression remains dependent on temperature and the growth medium. Constitutive expression of the CsgD protein results in altered transcription patterns for at least 24 novel genes, in addition to the previously identified CsgD-dependent genes. The cspA and fecR genes, encoding regulatory proteins responding to cold shock and to iron, respectively, and yoaD, encoding a putative negative regulator of cellulose biosynthesis, were found to be some of the novel CsgD-regulated genes. Consistent with the predicted functional role, increased expression of the yoaD gene negatively affects cell aggregation, while yoaD inactivation results in stimulation of cell aggregation and leads to increased cellulose production. Inactivation of fecR results in significant increases in both cell aggregation and biofilm formation, while the effects of cspA are not as strong in the conditions tested. Our results indicate that CsgD can modulate cellulose biosynthesis through activation of the yoaD gene. In addition, the positive effect of CsgD on biofilm formation might be enhanced by repression of the fecR gene.

Cellulose modulates biofilm formation by counteracting curli-mediated colonization of solid surfaces in Escherichia coli

In enterobacteria, the CsgD protein activates production of two extracellular structures: thin aggregative fimbriae (curli) and cellulose. While curli fibres promote biofilm formation and cell aggregation, the evidence for a direct role of cellulose as an additional determinant for biofilm formation is not as straightforward. The MG1655 laboratory strain of Escherichia coli only produces limited amounts of curli and cellulose; however, ectopic csgD expression results in strong stimulation of curli and cellulose production. We show that, in a csgD-overexpressing derivative of MG1655, cellulose production negatively affects curli-mediated surface adhesion and cell aggregation, thus acting as a negative determinant for biofilm formation. Consistent with this observation, deletion of the bcsA gene, necessary for cellulose production, resulted in a significant increase in curli-dependent adhesion. We found that cellulose production increased tolerance to desiccation, suggesting that the function of cellulose might be related to resistance to environmental stresses rather than to biofilm formation. Production of the curli/cellulose network in enterobacteria typically takes place at low growth temperature (<32 degrees C), but not at 37 degrees C. We show that CsgD overexpression can overcome temperature-dependent control of the curli-encoding csgBA operon, but not of the cellulose-related adrA gene, suggesting very tight temperature control of cellulose production in E. coli MG1655.

The Global Regulatory hns Gene Negatively Affects Adhesion to Solid Surfaces by Anaerobically Grown Escherichia coli by Modulating Expression of Flagellar Genes and Lipopolysaccharide Production

The initial binding of bacterial cells to a solid surface is a critical and essential step in biofilm formation. In this report we show that stationary-phase cultures of Escherichia coli W3100 (a K-12 strain) can efficiently attach to sand columns when they are grown in Luria broth medium at 28 degrees C in fully aerobic conditions. In contrast, growth in oxygen-limited conditions results in a sharp decrease in adhesion to hydrophilic substrates. We show that the production of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and of flagella, as well as the transcription of the fliC gene, encoding the major flagellar subunit, increases under oxygen-limited conditions. Inactivation of the global regulatory hns gene counteracts increased production of LPS and flagella in response to anoxia and allows E. coli W3100 to attach to sand columns even when it is grown under oxygen-limited conditions. We propose that increased production of the FliC protein and of LPS in response to oxygen limitation results in the loss of the ability of E. coli W3100 to adhere to hydrophilic surfaces. Indeed, overexpression of the fliC gene results in a decreased adhesion to sand even when W3100 is grown in fully aerobic conditions. Our observations strongly suggest that anoxia is a negative environmental signal for adhesion in E. coli.

Monitoring of diguanylate cyclase activity and of cyclic-di-GMP biosynthesis by whole-cell assays suitable for high-throughput screening of biofilm inhibitors

In Gram-negative bacteria, production of bis-(3′,5′)-cyclic diguanylic acid (c-di-GMP) by diguanylate cyclases (DGCs) is the main trigger for production of extracellular polysaccharides and for biofilm formation. Mutants affected in c-di-GMP biosynthesis are impaired in biofilm formation, thus making DGCs interesting targets for new antimicrobial agents with anti-biofilm activity. In this report, we describe a strategy for the screening for DGC inhibitors consisting of a combination of three microbiological assays. The primary assay utilizes an Escherichia coli strain overexpressing the adrA gene, encoding the DGC protein AdrA, and relies on detection of AdrA-dependent cellulose production as red colony phenotype on solid medium supplemented with the dye Congo red (CR). Presence of DGC inhibitors blocking AdrA activity would result in a white phenotype on CR medium. The CR assay can be performed in 96-well microtiter plates, making it suitable for high-throughput screenings. To confirm specific inhibition of c-di-GMP biosynthesis, chemical compounds positive in the CR assay are tested for their ability to inhibit biofilm formation and in a reporter gene assay which monitors expression of curli-encoding genes as a function of DGC activity. Screening of a chemical library using the described approach allowed us to identify sulfathiazole, an antimetabolite drug, as an inhibitor of c-di-GMP biosynthesis. Sulfathiazole probably affects c-di-GMP biosynthesis in an indirect fashion rather than by binding to DGCs; however, sulfathiazole represents the first example of drug able to affect biofilm formation by interfering with c-di-GMP metabolism.

The Transcriptional Antiterminator RfaH Represses Biofilm Formation in Escherichia coli

We investigated the influence of regulatory and pathogenicity island-associated factors (Hha, RpoS, LuxS, EvgA, RfaH, and tRNA5Leu) on biofilm formation by uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) strain 536. Only inactivation of rfaH, which encodes a transcriptional antiterminator, resulted in increased initial adhesion and biofilm formation by E. coli 536. rfaH inactivation in nonpathogenic E. coli K-12 isolate MG1655 resulted in the same phenotype. Transcriptome analysis of wild-type strain 536 and an rfaH mutant of this strain revealed that deletion of rfaH correlated with increased expression of flu orthologs. flu encodes antigen 43 (Ag43), which mediates autoaggregation and biofilm formation. We confirmed that deletion of rfaH leads to increased levels of flu and flu-like transcripts in E. coli K-12 and UPEC. Supporting the hypothesis that RfaH represses biofilm formation through reduction of the Ag43 level, the increased-biofilm phenotype of E. coli MG1655rfaH was reversed upon inactivation of flu. Deletion of the two flu orthologs, however, did not modify the behavior of mutant 536rfaH. Our results demonstrate that the strong initial adhesion and biofilm formation capacities of strain MG1655rfaH are mediated by both increased steady-state production of Ag43 and likely increased Ag43 presentation due to null rfaH-dependent lipopolysaccharide depletion. Although the roles of rfaH in the biofilm phenotype are different in UPEC strain 536 and K-12 strain MG1655, this study shows that RfaH, in addition to affecting the expression of bacterial virulence factors, also negatively controls expression and surface presentation of Ag43 and possibly another Ag43-independent factor(s) that mediates cell-cell interactions and biofilm formation.

Cross-talk mechanisms in biofilm formation and responses to environmental and physiological stress in Escherichia coli

Switching from single-cell (planktonic) to biofilm growth (and vice versa) is regulated by a variety of environmental and physiological cues. Signals leading to activation of stress responses often lead to biofilm formation which, in turn, can trigger induction of stress response mechanisms, suggesting direct cross-talk between the two cellular processes. Regulatory mechanisms of this process include two-component regulatory systems, master regulators such as the rpoS gene and signal molecules such as cyclic-di-GMP, in a tight and complex interplay.

Biofilm Formation-Gene Expression Relay System in Escherichia coli: Modulation of σS-Dependent Gene Expression by the CsgD Regulatory Protein via σS Protein Stabilization

Bacteria can switch from a single-cell (planktonic) mode to a multicellular community (biofilm) mode via production of cell-cell aggregation and surface adhesion factors. In this report, we present evidence that the CsgD protein, a transcription regulator involved in biofilm formation in Escherichia coli, modulates the expression of the rpoS (sigma(S)) regulon. Protein pattern analysis of E. coli cells in stationary phase shows that CsgD affects the expression of several proteins encoded by sigma(S)-dependent genes. CsgD regulation of sigma(S)-dependent genes takes place at gene transcription level, does not bypass the need for rpoS, and is abolished in an rpoS-null mutant. Consistent with these results, we find that CsgD expression leads to an increase in sigma(S) intracellular concentration. Increase in sigma(S) cellular amount is mediated by CsgD-dependent transcription activation of iraP, encoding a factor involved in sigma(S) protein stabilization. Our results strongly suggest that the CsgD regulatory protein plays a major role as a relay between adhesion factors production and sigma(S)-dependent gene expression via sigma(S) protein stabilization. Direct coordination between biofilm formation and expression of the rpoS regulon could positively impact important biological processes, such as host colonization or response to environmental stresses.