Genome-scale analysis of the genes that contribute to Burkholderia pseudomallei biofilm formation identifies a crucial exopolysaccharide biosynthesis gene cluster.

ABSTRACT: Burkholderia pseudomallei, the causative agent of melioidosis, is an important public health threat due to limited therapeutic options for treatment. Efforts to improve therapeutics for B. pseudomallei infections are dependent on the need to understand the role of B. pseudomallei biofilm formation and its contribution to antibiotic tolerance and persistence as these are bacterial traits that prevent effective therapy. In order to reveal the genes that regulate and/or contribute to B. pseudomallei 1026b biofilm formation, we screened a sequence defined two-allele transposon library and identified 118 transposon insertion mutants that were deficient in biofilm formation. These mutants include transposon insertions in genes predicted to encode flagella, fimbriae, transcriptional regulators, p

SUBMITTER: Borlee GI 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5507470 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature