CRISPR interference to interrogate genes that control biofilm formation in Pseudomonas fluorescens.

ABSTRACT: Bacterial biofilm formation involves signaling and regulatory pathways that control the transition from motile to sessile lifestyle, production of extracellular polymeric matrix, and maturation of the biofilm 3D structure. Biofilms are extensively studied because of their importance in biomedical, ecological and industrial settings. Gene inactivation is a powerful approach for functional studies but it is often labor intensive, limiting systematic gene surveys to the most tractable bacterial hosts. Here, we adapted the CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) system for use in diverse strain isolates of P. fluorescens, SBW25, WH6 and Pf0-1. We found that CRISPRi is applicable to study complex phenotypes such as cell morphology, motility and biofilm formation over extended periods of time. In SBW25, C

SUBMITTER: Noirot-Gros MF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6828691 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature