Phenotypic and genotypic characterization of biofilm forming capabilities in non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli strains.

ABSTRACT: The biofilm life style helps bacteria resist oxidative stress, desiccation, antibiotic treatment, and starvation. Biofilm formation involves a complex regulatory gene network controlled by various environmental signals. It was previously shown that prophage insertions in mlrA and heterogeneous mutations in rpoS constituted major obstacles limiting biofilm formation and the expression of extracellular curli fibers in strains of Escherichia coli serotype O157:H7. The purpose of this study was to test strains from other important serotypes of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) (O26, O45, O103, O111, O113, O121, and O145) for similar regulatory restrictions. In a small but diverse collection of biofilm-forming and non-forming strains, mlrA prophage insertions were identified in only 4 of the

SUBMITTER: Chen CY 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3874044 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature