Article
Microbiology
Jens Bo Andersen, Kasper Norskov Kragh, Louise Dahl Hultqvist, Morten Rybtke, Martin Nilsson, Tim Holm Jakobsen, Michael Givskov, Tim Tolker-Nielsen
Summary: A decade of research has shown the importance of c-di-GMP in bacteria, with high levels associated with biofilm formation and low levels with planktonic bacteria. Inducing specific phosphodiesterases in P. aeruginosa can lead to biofilm dispersal.
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS AND CHEMOTHERAPY
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Siying Lin, Shuzhen Chen, Li Li, Huiluo Cao, Ting Li, Ming Hu, Lisheng Liao, Lian-Hui Zhang, Zeling Xu
Summary: This study characterized a uropathogenic Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain, PA_HN002, and found that its high intracellular c-di-GMP content contributed to enhanced biofilm formation. Analysis of the c-di-GMP metabolizing enzymes in PA_HN002 revealed multiple mutations in phosphodiesterases (PDEs), which resulted in a shifted expression profile and elevated intracellular c-di-GMP levels, promoting biofilm production.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Calvin K. Lee, William C. Schmidt, Shanice S. Webster, Jonathan W. Chen, George A. O'Toole, Gerard C. L. Wong
Summary: This study reveals that changes in c-di-GMP levels in bacterial biofilms are not the sole factor determining surface commitment, as oscillations in c-di-GMP levels can propagate across generations. Additionally, the study demonstrates that modulation of c-di-GMP signals and cooperative surface commitment can be influenced by varying the interaction strength between PilO and SadC.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Yu-Ming Cai, Kai-Wei Yu, Ji-Hong Liu, Zhao Cai, Zun-Hao Zhou, Yang Liu, Tian-Fu Wang, Liang Yang
Summary: The c-di-GMP signaling pathways in P. aeruginosa are highly organized and play important roles in the transition between motile and sessile lifestyles. This study identified a phosphodiesterase, PipA, that regulates bacteriophage production, and uncovered a potential signaling circuit for biofilm treatment.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jacob Blacutt, Ziyang Lan, Elizabeth M. Cosgriff-Hernandez, Vernita D. Gordon
Summary: This study presents a new method for measuring statistically significant differences in c-di-GMP signaling associated with different PEGDA gel types and the surface-exposed protein PilY1.
ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE
(2021)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Anming Xu, Xiaoxiao Zhang, Tong Wang, Fengxue Xin, Luyan Z. Ma, Jie Zhou, Weiliang Dong, Min Jiang
Summary: Pseudomonas aeruginosa is known for its excellent ecological flexibility and can survive in diverse niches. The adaptive mutants RSCVs have been frequently isolated from chronic infections, sparking interest in investigating their formation, persistence, and pathogenesis. RSCVs are believed to play a significant role in biofilm formation and high adaptability.
BIOTECHNOLOGY ADVANCES
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Dingbin Li, Li Zhang, Jinhua Liang, Wusheng Deng, Qingjun Wei, Ke Wang
Summary: This study established a rabbit model of septic arthritis caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, demonstrating the formation of biofilms in the knee joint cavity. Scanning electron microscopy and PNA-FISH assays were used to observe the biofilm structures and fiber deposition in the synovial membrane. The findings suggest that c-di-GMP plays a key role in biofilm formation in the rabbit models.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Julia E. E. Dreifus, Lindsey O'Neal, Holly M. M. Jacobs, Adithya S. S. Subramanian, P. Lynne Howell, Daniel J. J. Wozniak, Matthew R. R. Parsek
Summary: The DGC SiaD regulates the production of cell-associated EPS Psl through posttranslational mechanisms in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The Sia system is important for producing low levels of c-di-GMP and maintaining cell-associated Psl in planktonic populations.
JOURNAL OF BACTERIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Ying Hu, Jeremy Stephen Webb, Shi-qi An
Summary: The rapid emergence of bacterial resistance to antibiotics poses a significant threat to global healthcare systems. Recent research has focused on targeting regulatory pathways, such as the intracellular molecule c-di-GMP, to identify new effective anti-bacterial agents. Altering the cellular concentrations of this molecule has the potential to reduce biofilm formation or increase susceptibility of bacteria to antibiotics.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Han -Shin Kim, So-Young Ham, Hwa-Soo Ryoo, Do-Hyung Kim, Eun-Tae Yun, Hee-Deung Park, Jeong-Hoon Park
Summary: Biofilms, composed of bacteria and extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs), increase antibiotic resistance by hindering antibiotic transport to bacterial cells. Citrus peel extract from Jeju Island (CPEJ) was found to inhibit biofilm formation without affecting bacterial growth. CPEJ reduced EPS production and increased bacterial motility. These effects were attributed to the reduction in intracellular cyclic di-guanosine monophosphate (c-di-GMP) levels through increased phosphodiesterase activity. This new finding suggests that CPEJ has potential as a biofilm inhibitor in pharmaceutical and industrial applications.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Zhexian Liu, Sarzana S. Hossain, Zayda Morales Moreira, Cara H. Haney
Summary: Pseudomonas aeruginosa can regulate biofilm formation by synthesizing and catabolizing polyamines. Both putrescine and its biosynthetic precursor, arginine, promote biofilm formation by increasing the level of c-di-GMP in the cells.
JOURNAL OF BACTERIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Xiangke Duan, Yanrong Pan, Zhao Cai, Yumei Liu, Yingdan Zhang, Moxiao Liu, Yang Liu, Ke Wang, Lianhui Zhang, Liang Yang
Summary: This study demonstrated that antibiotic treatment of biofilm-related P. aeruginosa infections could induce a hyperbiofilm phenotype through rpoS mutation, possibly contributing to the failure of antimicrobial treatment in these infections. The evolved hyperbiofilm mutants outcompeted the ancestral strain within biofilms but not in planktonic cultures, and the mutation in rpoS gene increased intracellular c-di-GMP level and virulence in the hyperbiofilm variants.
CELL AND BIOSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Anna C. Zemke, Emily J. D'Amico, Angela M. Torres, Grace P. Carreno-Florez, Patrick Keeley, Matt DuPont, Naomi Kasturiarachi, Jennifer M. Bomberger
Summary: In this study, it was found that inhibiting the respiration ability of Pseudomonas aeruginosa can trigger the dispersal process of biofilms grown in association with human respiratory epithelial cells in culture. The dispersal process requires a protease that is known to degrade the biofilm matrix. These findings provide a better understanding of the biofilm dispersal process, which can potentially lead to the development of new treatments for bacterial infections.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Dejian Liu, Di Wang, Qing Wei, Yu Zhang, Haiying Yu, Luyan Z. Ma
Summary: The opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a major pathogen in nosocomial infections and can cause acute and chronic infections in humans. Biofilm formation is crucial for its persistence and evasion of immune and antibiotic attacks. This study constructed a promoter-gfp fusion reporter library to monitor the regulation of c-di-GMP metabolism-related genes in P. aeruginosa.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Kira Eilers, Joey Kuok Hoong Yam, Richard Morton, Adeline Mei Hui Yong, Jaime Brizuela, Corina Hadjicharalambous, Xianghui Liu, Michael Givskov, Scott A. Rice, Alain Filloux
Summary: Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a versatile bacterium that can survive and thrive in various environments and hosts. Its adaptability is due to its large genome and tight control over gene expression. Cyclic-di-GMP signaling, a regulatory mechanism found in many bacteria, influences all levels of control in P. aeruginosa. This signaling involves modifications to enzymes or proteins upon c-di-GMP binding, ultimately impacting the transcriptome. This study suggests that the specificity of c-di-GMP networks needs to be reconstructed for each strain of P. aeruginosa and cannot be extrapolated from one strain to another.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
News Item
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Vernita D. Gordon
Article
Microbiology
Parth N. Shah, Kimberly R. Marshall-Batty, Justin A. Smolen, Jasur A. Tagaev, Qingquan Chen, Christopher A. Rodesney, Henry H. Le, Vernita D. Gordon, David E. Greenberg, Carolyn L. Cannon
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS AND CHEMOTHERAPY
(2018)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Orrin Shindell, Natalie Mica, Kwan H. Cheng, Exing Wang, Vernita D. Gordon
Review
Cell Biology
Vernita D. Gordon, Liyun Wang
JOURNAL OF CELL SCIENCE
(2019)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Wade F. Zeno, Kasey J. Day, Vernita D. Gordon, Jeanne C. Stachowiak
ANNUAL REVIEW OF BIOPHYSICS, VOL 49, 2020
(2020)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Kristin N. Kovach, Derek Fleming, Marilyn J. Wells, Kendra P. Rumbaugh, Vernita Diane Gordon
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kristin Kovach, Indu Venu Sabaraya, Parth Patel, Mary Jo Kirisits, Navid B. Saleh, Vernita D. Gordon
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jacob Blacutt, Ziyang Lan, Elizabeth M. Cosgriff-Hernandez, Vernita D. Gordon
Summary: This study presents a new method for measuring statistically significant differences in c-di-GMP signaling associated with different PEGDA gel types and the surface-exposed protein PilY1.
ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Derek Fleming, Brandon Niese, Whitni Redman, Emily Vanderpool, Vernita Gordon, Kendra P. Rumbaugh
Summary: The absence of the exopolysaccharides Pel and Psl in Pseudomonas aeruginosa did not significantly affect the severity or wound closure rates of wound infections in a mouse model. However, the size and distribution of biofilm aggregates in the wound tissue were different, and the mutants' ability to survive antibiotic treatment was impaired.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Minhaz Ur Rahman, Derek F. Fleming, Liyun Wang, Kendra P. Rumbaugh, Vernita D. Gordon, Gordon F. Christopher
Summary: A new technique was used to measure the viscoelasticity of in vivo Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms. The results show that the biofilms grown in vivo are relatively more elastic and exhibit similar compliance compared to those grown in vitro. Additionally, the contributions of exopolysaccharides to biofilm viscoelasticity were different for the biofilms grown in vitro and in vivo. The incorporation of host material, particularly collagen, into the matrix of the biofilm when it is grown in vivo may be the dominant contributor to biofilm viscoelasticity.
NPJ BIOFILMS AND MICROBIOMES
(2022)
Review
Mechanics
Michael F. Schatz, Pietro Cicuta, Vernita D. Gordon, Teuta Pilizota, Bruce Rodenborn, Mark D. Shattuck, Harry L. Swinney
Summary: Hands-On Research in Complex Systems Schools are an example of applying tabletop experiments to frontier problems in resource-constrained environments. Participants in the two-week program work with experienced scientists, using low-cost tools to run experiments and perform data analysis. They also learn how to communicate their results effectively. These schools help develop scientific leaders in low- and middle-income countries.
ANNUAL REVIEW OF FLUID MECHANICS
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Philip Sweet, Jacob Blacutt, Vernita Gordon, Lydia Contreras
Summary: This study investigated the activation of genes (including the SOS regulon and the So Lambda prophage) in the highly radiosensitive bacterium S. oneidensis after exposure to low doses of IR. The results showed that genes within the So Lambda regulon remained upregulated, indicating the potential of prophages as biomarkers of low dose IR exposure.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Marilyn J. Wells, Hailey Currie, Vernita D. Gordon
Summary: Biofilms are communities of interacting microbes embedded in a matrix of polymer, protein, and other materials. The presence of calcium ion (Ca2+) drives the formation of structurally and compositionally discrete microdomains within biofilms through electrostatic interactions with the anionic matrix components eDNA and alginate, which serve a protective function for the biofilm bacteria. Enzyme treatments, such as alginate lyase or DNase I, can impact the viscoelasticity of the biofilm.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Minhaz Ur Rahman, Derek F. Fleming, Indranil Sinha, Kendra P. Rumbaugh, Vernita D. Gordon, Gordon F. Christopher
Summary: Collagen is found to decrease biofilm compliance and increase relative elasticity regardless of the EPS present in the system. However, this effect is minimized when biofilms overproduce EPS. Collagen appears to become a de facto component of the EPS, through binding to bacteria or physical entanglement.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Vernita Gordon, Layla Bakhtiari, Kristin Kovach