The Role of Flagellum and Flagellum-Based Motility on <i>Salmonella</i> Enteritidis and <i>Escherichia coli</i> Biofilm Formation
Flagellum-mediated motility has been suggested to contribute to virulence by allowing bacteria to colonize and spread to new surfaces. In <i>Salmonella enterica</i> and <i>Escherichia coli</i> species, mutants affected by their flagellar motility have shown a reduced ability...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Microorganisms |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/12/2/232 |
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| author | Diana Vilas Boas Joana Castro Daniela Araújo Franklin L. Nóbrega Charles W. Keevil Nuno F. Azevedo Maria João Vieira Carina Almeida |
| author_facet | Diana Vilas Boas Joana Castro Daniela Araújo Franklin L. Nóbrega Charles W. Keevil Nuno F. Azevedo Maria João Vieira Carina Almeida |
| author_sort | Diana Vilas Boas |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Flagellum-mediated motility has been suggested to contribute to virulence by allowing bacteria to colonize and spread to new surfaces. In <i>Salmonella enterica</i> and <i>Escherichia coli</i> species, mutants affected by their flagellar motility have shown a reduced ability to form biofilms. While it is known that some species might act as co-aggregation factors for bacterial adhesion, studies of food-related biofilms have been limited to single-species biofilms and short biofilm formation periods. To assess the contribution of flagella and flagellum-based motility to adhesion and biofilm formation, two <i>Salmonella</i> and <i>E. coli</i> mutants with different flagellar phenotypes were produced: the <i>fliC</i> mutants, which do not produce flagella, and the <i>motAB</i> mutants, which are non-motile. The ability of wild-type and mutant strains to form biofilms was compared, and their relative fitness was determined in two-species biofilms with other foodborne pathogens. Our results showed a defective and significant behavior of <i>E. coli</i> in initial surface colonization <i>(p</i> < 0.05<i>)</i>, which delayed single-species biofilm formation. <i>Salmonella</i> mutants were not affected by the ability to form biofilm (<i>p</i> > 0.05). Regarding the effect of motility/flagellum absence on bacterial fitness, none of the mutant strains seems to have their relative fitness affected in the presence of a competing species. Although the absence of motility may eventually delay initial colonization, this study suggests that motility is not essential for biofilm formation and does not have a strong impact on bacteria’s fitness when a competing species is present. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T22:20:37Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-30617752564c4552ada96ab51cb55af4 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-2607 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T22:20:37Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Microorganisms |
| spelling | doaj.art-30617752564c4552ada96ab51cb55af42024-02-23T15:27:56ZengMDPI AGMicroorganisms2076-26072024-01-0112223210.3390/microorganisms12020232The Role of Flagellum and Flagellum-Based Motility on <i>Salmonella</i> Enteritidis and <i>Escherichia coli</i> Biofilm FormationDiana Vilas Boas0Joana Castro1Daniela Araújo2Franklin L. Nóbrega3Charles W. Keevil4Nuno F. Azevedo5Maria João Vieira6Carina Almeida7Center of Biological Engineering (CEB), Campus de Gualtar, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, PortugalCenter of Biological Engineering (CEB), Campus de Gualtar, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, PortugalCenter of Biological Engineering (CEB), Campus de Gualtar, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, PortugalCenter of Biological Engineering (CEB), Campus de Gualtar, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, PortugalSchool of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, University Road Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UKLEPABE—Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, PortugalCenter of Biological Engineering (CEB), Campus de Gualtar, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, PortugalCenter of Biological Engineering (CEB), Campus de Gualtar, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, PortugalFlagellum-mediated motility has been suggested to contribute to virulence by allowing bacteria to colonize and spread to new surfaces. In <i>Salmonella enterica</i> and <i>Escherichia coli</i> species, mutants affected by their flagellar motility have shown a reduced ability to form biofilms. While it is known that some species might act as co-aggregation factors for bacterial adhesion, studies of food-related biofilms have been limited to single-species biofilms and short biofilm formation periods. To assess the contribution of flagella and flagellum-based motility to adhesion and biofilm formation, two <i>Salmonella</i> and <i>E. coli</i> mutants with different flagellar phenotypes were produced: the <i>fliC</i> mutants, which do not produce flagella, and the <i>motAB</i> mutants, which are non-motile. The ability of wild-type and mutant strains to form biofilms was compared, and their relative fitness was determined in two-species biofilms with other foodborne pathogens. Our results showed a defective and significant behavior of <i>E. coli</i> in initial surface colonization <i>(p</i> < 0.05<i>)</i>, which delayed single-species biofilm formation. <i>Salmonella</i> mutants were not affected by the ability to form biofilm (<i>p</i> > 0.05). Regarding the effect of motility/flagellum absence on bacterial fitness, none of the mutant strains seems to have their relative fitness affected in the presence of a competing species. Although the absence of motility may eventually delay initial colonization, this study suggests that motility is not essential for biofilm formation and does not have a strong impact on bacteria’s fitness when a competing species is present.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/12/2/232biofilm formationfoodborne pathogens<i>Salmonella</i><i>Escherichia coli</i>fliC mutants<i>motA</i> mutants |
| spellingShingle | Diana Vilas Boas Joana Castro Daniela Araújo Franklin L. Nóbrega Charles W. Keevil Nuno F. Azevedo Maria João Vieira Carina Almeida The Role of Flagellum and Flagellum-Based Motility on <i>Salmonella</i> Enteritidis and <i>Escherichia coli</i> Biofilm Formation Microorganisms biofilm formation foodborne pathogens <i>Salmonella</i> <i>Escherichia coli</i> fliC mutants <i>motA</i> mutants |
| title | The Role of Flagellum and Flagellum-Based Motility on <i>Salmonella</i> Enteritidis and <i>Escherichia coli</i> Biofilm Formation |
| title_full | The Role of Flagellum and Flagellum-Based Motility on <i>Salmonella</i> Enteritidis and <i>Escherichia coli</i> Biofilm Formation |
| title_fullStr | The Role of Flagellum and Flagellum-Based Motility on <i>Salmonella</i> Enteritidis and <i>Escherichia coli</i> Biofilm Formation |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Role of Flagellum and Flagellum-Based Motility on <i>Salmonella</i> Enteritidis and <i>Escherichia coli</i> Biofilm Formation |
| title_short | The Role of Flagellum and Flagellum-Based Motility on <i>Salmonella</i> Enteritidis and <i>Escherichia coli</i> Biofilm Formation |
| title_sort | role of flagellum and flagellum based motility on i salmonella i enteritidis and i escherichia coli i biofilm formation |
| topic | biofilm formation foodborne pathogens <i>Salmonella</i> <i>Escherichia coli</i> fliC mutants <i>motA</i> mutants |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/12/2/232 |
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