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Appl Environ Microbiol. 1994 February; 60(2): 434-446
Copyright © 1994, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Multicellular Organization in a Degradative Biofilm Community

G. M. Wolfaardt1,2, J. R. Lawrence1,*, R. D. Robarts1, S. J. Caldwell3 and D. E. Caldwell2

1 National Hydrology Research Institute, Environment Canada, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada S7N 3H5
2 Department of Applied Microbiology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada S7N 0W0
3 Department of Veterinary Anatomy, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada S7N 0W0

ABSTRACT

Diclofop methyl, a commercial herbicide, was used as the sole carbon source to cultivate diclofop-degrading biofilms in continuous-flow slide culture. The biofilms were analyzed by using scanning confocal laser microscopy and image analysis. Spatial relationships among members of the community were distinctive to diclofop-grown biofilms. These relationships did not develop when the biofilms were grown on more labile substrates but were conserved when the biofilms were cultivated with other chlorinated ring compounds. The structures included conical bacterial consortia rising to 30 µm above the surrounding biofilm, grape-like clusters of cocci embedded in a matrix of perpendicularly oriented bacilli, and other highly specific patterns of intra- and intergeneric cellular coaggregation and growth. These unique consortial relationships indicated that syntrophic interactions may be necessary for optimal degradation of diclofop methyl and other chlorinated ring compounds.

FOOTNOTES

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: National Hydrology Research Institute, 11 Innovation Blvd., Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada S7N 3H5. Phone: (306) 975-5789. Fax: (306) 975-5143.

Appl Environ Microbiol. 1994 February; 60(2): 434-446
Copyright © 1994, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



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Copyright © 1994 by the American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.