Biofilm formation-defective mutants in Pseudomonas putida.

Out of 8000 candidates from a genetic screening for Pseudomonas putida KT2442 mutants showing defects in biofilm formation, 40 independent mutants with diminished levels of biofilm were analyzed. Most of these mutants carried insertions in genes of the lap cluster, whose products are responsible for synthesis, export and degradation of the adhesin LapA. All mutants in this class were strongly defective in biofilm formation. Mutants in the flagellar regulatory genes fleQ and flhF showed similar defects to that of the lap mutants. On the contrary, transposon insertions in the flagellar structural genes fliP and flgG, that also impair flagellar motility, had a modest defect in biofilm formation. A mutation in gacS, encoding the sensor element of the GacS/GacA two-component system, also had a moderate effect on biofilm formation. Additional insertions targeted genes involved in cell envelope function: PP3222, encoding the permease element of an ABC-type transporter and tolB, encoding the periplasmic component of the Tol-OprL system required for outer membrane stability. Our results underscore the central role of LapA, suggest cross-regulation between motility and adhesion functions and provide insights on the role of cell envelope trafficking and maintenance for biofilm development in P. putida.

Genetic evidence of a high-affinity cyanuric acid transport system in Pseudomonas sp. ADP.

The Pseudomonas sp. ADP plasmid pADP-1 encodes the activities involved in the hydrolytic degradation of the s-triazine herbicide atrazine. Here, we explore the presence of a specific transport system for the central intermediate of the atrazine utilization pathway, cyanuric acid, in Pseudomonas sp. ADP. Growth in fed-batch cultures containing limiting cyanuric acid concentrations is consistent with high-affinity transport of this substrate. Acquisition of the ability to grow at low cyanuric acid concentrations upon conjugal transfer of pADP1 to the nondegrading host Pseudomonas putida KT2442 suggests that all activities required for this phenotype are encoded in this plasmid. Co-expression of the pADP1-borne atzDEF and atzTUVW genes, encoding the cyanuric acid utilization pathway and the subunits of an ABC-type solute transport system, in P. putida KT2442 was sufficient to promote growth at cyanuric acid concentrations as low as 50 µM in batch culture. Taken together, our results strongly suggest that the atzTUVW gene products are involved in high-affinity transport of cyanuric acid.

An A-tract at the AtzR binding site assists DNA binding, inducer-dependent repositioning and transcriptional activation of the PatzDEF promoter.

The LysR-type regulator AtzR activates the Pseudomonas sp. ADP atzDEF operon in response to nitrogen limitation and cyanuric acid. Activation involves repositioning of the AtzR tetramer on the PatzDEF promoter and relaxation of an AtzR-induced DNA bend. Here we examine the in vivo and in vitro contribution of an A5 -tract present at the PatzDEF promoter region to AtzR binding and transcriptional activation. Substitution of the A-tract for the sequence ACTCA prevented PatzDEF activation and high-affinity AtzR binding, impaired AtzR contacts with the activator binding site and shifted the position of the AtzR-induced DNA bend. Analysis of a collection of mutants bearing different alterations in the A-tract sequence showed that the extent of AtzR-dependent activation does not correlate with the magnitude or orientation of the spontaneous DNA bend generated at this site. Our results support the notion that indirect readout of the A-tract-associated narrow minor groove is essential for the AtzR-DNA complex to achieve a conformation competent for activation of the PatzDEF promoter. Conservation of this motif in several binding sites of LysR-type regulators suggests that this mechanism may be shared by other proteins in this family.