This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Johnsen, A. R.
Right arrow Articles by Wuertz, S.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Johnsen, A. R.
Right arrow Articles by Wuertz, S.
Agricola
Right arrow Articles by Johnsen, A. R.
Right arrow Articles by Wuertz, S.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, August 2000, p. 3487-3491, Vol. 66, No. 8
0099-2240/00/$04.00+0
Copyright © 2000, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of Fluorescently Labeled Lectins for Noninvasive Localization of Extracellular Polymeric Substances in Sphingomonas Biofilms

Anders R. Johnsen,1 Martina Hausner,2,* Annette Schnell,2 and Stefan Wuertz2

National Environmental Research Institute, Department of Microbial Ecology and Biotechnology, Frederiksborgvej 399, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark,1 and Institute of Water Quality Control and Waste Management, Technical University of Munich, Am Coulombwall, 85748 Garching, Germany2

Received 24 January 2000/Accepted 10 May 2000

Three strains of Sphingomonas were grown as biofilms and tested for binding of five fluorescently labeled lectins (Con A-type IV-TRITC or -Cy5, Pha-E-TRITC, PNA-TRITC, UEA 1-TRITC, and WGA-Texas red). Only ConA and WGA were significantly bound by the biofilms. Binding of the five lectins to artificial biofilms made of the commercially available Sphingomonas extracellular polysaccharides was similar to binding to living biofilms. Staining of the living and artificial biofilms by ConA might be explained as binding of the lectin to the terminal mannosyl and terminal glucosyl residues in the polysaccharides secreted by Sphingomonas as well as to the terminal mannosyl residue in glycosphingolipids. Staining of the biofilms by WGA could only be explained as binding to the Sphingomonas glycosphingolipid membrane, binding to the cell wall, or nonspecific binding. Glycoconjugation of ConA and WGA with the target sugars glucose and N-acetylglucosamine, respectively, was used as a method for evaluation of the specificity of the lectins towards Sphingomonas biofilms and Sphingomonas polysaccharides. Our results show that the binding of lectins to biofilms does not necessarily prove the presence of specific target sugars in the extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) in biofilms. The lectins may bind to non-EPS targets or adhere nonspecifically to components of the biofilm matrix.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Institute of Water Quality Control and Waste Management, Technical University of Munich, Am Coulombwall, 85748 Garching, Germany. Phone: 49(0)89/289-13733. Fax: 49(0)89/289-13718. E-mail: M.Hausner{at}bv.tu-muenchen.de.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, August 2000, p. 3487-3491, Vol. 66, No. 8
0099-2240/00/$04.00+0
Copyright © 2000, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.


This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Luef, B., Neu, T. R., Zweimuller, I., Peduzzi, P. (2009). Structure and Composition of Aggregates in Two Large European Rivers, Based on Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy and Image and Statistical Analyses. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 75: 5952-5962 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Bereschenko, L. A., Heilig, G. H. J., Nederlof, M. M., van Loosdrecht, M. C. M., Stams, A. J. M., Euverink, G. J. W. (2008). Molecular Characterization of the Bacterial Communities in the Different Compartments of a Full-Scale Reverse-Osmosis Water Purification Plant. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 74: 5297-5304 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Johnsen, A. R., Schmidt, S., Hybholt, T. K., Henriksen, S., Jacobsen, C. S., Andersen, O. (2007). Strong Impact on the Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH)-Degrading Community of a PAH-Polluted Soil but Marginal Effect on PAH Degradation when Priming with Bioremediated Soil Dominated by Mycobacteria. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 73: 1474-1480 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Cerca, N., Martins, S., Sillankorva, S., Jefferson, K. K., Pier, G. B., Oliveira, R., Azeredo, J. (2005). Effects of Growth in the Presence of Subinhibitory Concentrations of Dicloxacillin on Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus haemolyticus Biofilms. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 71: 8677-8682 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Venugopalan, V. P., Kuehn, M., Hausner, M., Springael, D., Wilderer, P. A., Wuertz, S. (2005). Architecture of a Nascent Sphingomonas sp. Biofilm under Varied Hydrodynamic Conditions. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 71: 2677-2686 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Benson, M. J., Gawronski, J. D., Eveleigh, D. E., Benson, D. R. (2004). Intracellular Symbionts and Other Bacteria Associated with Deer Ticks (Ixodes scapularis) from Nantucket and Wellfleet, Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 70: 616-620 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Battin, T. J., Kaplan, L. A., Newbold, J. D., Cheng, X., Hansen, C. (2003). Effects of Current Velocity on the Nascent Architecture of Stream Microbial Biofilms. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 69: 5443-5452 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Johnsen, A. R., Bendixen, K., Karlson, U. (2002). Detection of Microbial Growth on Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Microtiter Plates by Using the Respiration Indicator WST-1. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 68: 2683-2689 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Neu, T. R., Swerhone, G. D. W., Lawrence, J. R. (2001). Assessment of lectin-binding analysis for in situ detection of glycoconjugates in biofilm systems. Microbiology 147: 299-313 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology.   For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»