Sensor kinase PA4398 modulates swarming motility and biofilm formation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA14

• Published in: Applied and Environmental Microbiology 2015-02, Vol.81 (4), p.1274-1285
• Main Authors: Strehmel, Janine, Neidig, Anke, Nusser, Michael, Geffers, Robert, Brenner-Weiss, Gerald, Overhage, Joerg
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Bacterial Proteins - genetics; Bacterial Proteins - metabolism; Biofilms; Biosynthesis; Cyclic GMP - metabolism; Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; Genetics and Molecular Biology; Genotype & phenotype; Gram-negative bacteria; Kinases; Microbiology; Mutation; Protein Kinases - genetics; Protein Kinases - metabolism; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Pseudomonas aeruginosa - cytology; Pseudomonas aeruginosa - enzymology; Pseudomonas aeruginosa - genetics; Pseudomonas aeruginosa - growth & development
• ISSN: 0099-2240; 1098-5336; 1098-6596
• DOI: 10.1128/AEM.02832-14

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic human pathogen that is able to sense and adapt to numerous environmental stimuli by the use of transcriptional regulators, including two-component regulatory systems. In this study, we demonstrate that the sensor kinase PA4398 is involved in the regulation of swarming motility and biofilm formation in P. aeruginosa PA14. APA4398 mutant strain was considerably impaired in swarming motility, while biofilm formation was increased by approximately 2-fold. The PA4398 mutant showed no changes in growth rate, rhamnolipid synthesis, or the production of the Pel exopolysaccharide but exhibited levels of the intracellular second messenger cyclic dimeric GMP (c-di-GMP) 50% higher than those in wild-type cells. The role of PA4398 in gene regulation was investigated by comparing the PA4398 mutant to the wildtype strain by using microarray analysis, which demonstrated that 64 genes were up- or downregulated more than 1.5-fold (P