AbstractsBiology & Animal Science

Inverse regulation of biofilm formation and swarming motility in Pseudomonas aeruginosa by the transcriptional regulator GbuR

by Ryan Calvin Ho




Institution: University of British Columbia
Department: Microbiology and Immunology
Degree: MS- MSc
Year: 2015
Record ID: 2059648
Full text PDF: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/52011


Abstract

Pseudomonas aeruginosa inversely regulates biofilm formation and swarming motility, which provides the advantage of allowing it to adapt to environmental conditions. These two surface-associated behaviors represent distinct infection states, with swarming being associated with an acute lifestyle, and biofilm formation exemplifying a chronic lifestyle. Thus the inverse regulation of biofilm formation and swarming motility has important implications for the mode of infection, which in turn influences the interaction between P. aeruginosa and an affected host. Recent studies have also shown that the inverse regulation of biofilm formation and swarming motility is under the control of a number of regulatory genes. Characterization of these genes will therefore provide insights into this regulatory phenomenon and its effect on virulence in P. aeruginosa. The aim of this study was to investigate the inverse regulation of biofilm formation and swarming motility by the transcriptional regulator GbuR. It was shown that mutation in gbuR resulted in a severe swarming defect, while biofilm formation was enhanced. Transcriptome analysis defined the modest regulon of gbuR, revealing a number of genes potentially involved in inversely regulating biofilm formation and swarming motility.