Synthetic Phosphoethanolamine Cellobiose Promotes Escherichia coli Biofilm Formation and Congo Red Binding.

ABSTRACT: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are caused by bacteria growing in complex, multicellular enclosed aggregates known as biofilms. Recently, a zwitterionic cellulose derivative produced in Escherichia coli (E. coli) was determined to play an important role in the formation and assembly of biofilms. In order to produce a minimal, yet structurally defined tool compound to probe the biology of the naturally occurring polymer, we have synthesized a zwitterionic phosphoethanolamine cellobiose (pEtN cellobiose) and evaluated its biofilm activity in the Gram-negative bacterium E. coli, a pathogen implicated in the pathogenesis of UTIs. The impact of synthetic pEtN cellobiose on biofilm formation was examined via colorimetric assays which revealed an increase in cellular adhesion to an abiotic substr

SUBMITTER: Nguyen JM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8338768 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature