Abstract
Previously, we reported that the coculture of motile Methylobacterium sp. ME121 and non-motile Kaistia sp. 32K, isolated from the same soil sample, displayed accelerated motility of strain ME121 due to an extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) produced by strain 32K. Since EPS is a major component of biofilms, we aimed to investigate the biofilm formation in cocultures of the two strains. The extent of biofilm formation was measured by a microtiter dish assay with the dye crystal violet. A significant increase in the amount of biofilm was observed in the coculture of the two strains, as compared to that of the monocultures, which could be due to a metabolite produced by strain 32K. However, in the coculture with strain 32K, using Escherichia coli or Pseudomonas aeruginosa, there was no difference in the amount of biofilm formation as compared with the monoculture. Elevated biofilm formation was also observed in the coculture of strain ME121 with Kaistia adipata, which was isolated from a different soil sample. Methylobacterium radiotolerans, isolated from another soil sample, showed a significant increase in biofilm formation when cocultured with K. adipata, but not with strain 32K. We also found that the culture supernatants of strains 32K and K. adipata accelerated the motility of strains ME121 and M. radiotolerans, wherein culture supernatant of K. adipata significantly increased the motility of M. radiotolerans, as compared to that by the culture supernatant of strain 32K. These results indicated that there was a positive relationship between accelerated motility and increased biofilm formation in Methylobacterium spp. This is the first study to report that the metabolites from Kaistia spp. could specifically modulate the biofilm-forming ability of Methylobacterium spp. Methylobacterium spp. biofilms are capable of inhibiting the biofilm formation of mycobacteria, which are opportunistic pathogens that cause problems in infectious diseases. Thus, the metabolites from the culture supernatant of Kaistia spp. have the potential to contribute to the environment in which increased biofilm production of Methylobacterium is desired.
Highlights
ME121 and Kaistia sp. 32K were isolated from the same soil sample, by chance, during screening for L-glucose-assimilating bacteria, and their growth was enhanced by coculture [1,2]
We discovered that the motility of strain ME121 was accelerated in the coculture of strains ME121 and 32K because of an extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) produced by strain
A significant increase in the amount of biofilm formed was observed in the coculture of strains ME121 and 32K, as compared to that in the monoculture of strain 32K
Summary
32K were isolated from the same soil sample, by chance, during screening for L-glucose-assimilating bacteria, and their growth was enhanced by coculture [1,2]. Methylobacterium species are characterized as Gram-negative non-spore-forming bacilli, facultative methylotrophs which form pink-pigmented colonies on agar plates and have been widely observed to live on plant leaves, in soil, and in chlorinated tap water [3,4]. Kaistia species are characterized as Gram-negative non-spore-forming rod to coccus, strictly aerobic, chemoorganotrophic bacteria that form mucoid colonies on agar plates and have been observed to inhabit environments such as soil, wetland, and river sediments [6,7,8,9]. We discovered that the motility of strain ME121 was accelerated in the coculture of strains ME121 and 32K because of an extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) produced by strain
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