Biofilm Development and Cell Death in the Marine Bacterium Pseudoalteromonas tunicata

• DOI: 10.1128/aem.70.6.3232-3238.2004
• Publication Date: 2004-06-07T23:03:20Z
• Authors: Anne Mai-Prochnow; Flavia Evans; Doralyn Dalisay-S...; Sacha Stelzer; Suhelen Egan; Sally James; Jeremy S. Webb; Staffan Kjelleberg
• Keywords: Pseudoalteromonas; Marine bacteriophage; Alteromonas

ABSTRACT The newly described green-pigmented bacterium Pseudoalteromonas tunicata (D2) produces target-specific inhibitory compounds against bacteria, algae, fungi, and invertebrate larvae is frequently found in association with living surfaces the marine environment. As part of our studies on ecology P. its interaction surfaces, we examined ability to form biofilms under continuous culture conditions within laboratory. exhibited a characteristic architecture consisting differentiated microcolonies surrounded by water channels. Remarkably, observed repeatable pattern cell death during biofilm development , similar that recently reported for Pseudomonas aeruginosa (J. S. Webb et al., J. Bacteriol. 185: 4585-4595, 2003). Killing lysis occurred inside microcolonies, apparently resulting formation voids these structures. A subpopulation viable cells was always regions killing biofilm. Moreover, extensive mature appeared result detachment from substratum. novel 190-kDa autotoxic protein produced designated AlpP, be involved this detachment. Δ alpP mutant derivative generated, did not show development. We propose AlpP-mediated plays an important role multicellular subsequent dispersal surviving