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 Teitzel, G. M.
Right arrow Articles by Parsek, M. R.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Teitzel, G. M.
Right arrow Articles by Parsek, M. R.
Agricola
Right arrow Articles by Teitzel, G. M.
Right arrow Articles by Parsek, M. R.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, April 2003, p. 2313-2320, Vol. 69, No. 4
0099-2240/03/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/AEM.69.4.2313-2320.2003
Copyright © 2003, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Heavy Metal Resistance of Biofilm and Planktonic Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Gail M. Teitzel and Matthew R. Parsek*

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208

Received 27 September 2002/ Accepted 21 January 2003

A study was undertaken to examine the effects of the heavy metals copper, lead, and zinc on biofilm and planktonic Pseudomonas aeruginosa. A rotating-disk biofilm reactor was used to generate biofilm and free-swimming cultures to test their relative levels of resistance to heavy metals. It was determined that biofilms were anywhere from 2 to 600 times more resistant to heavy metal stress than free-swimming cells. When planktonic cells at different stages of growth were examined, it was found that logarithmically growing cells were more resistant to copper and lead stress than stationary-phase cells. However, biofilms were observed to be more resistant to heavy metals than either stationary-phase or logarithmically growing planktonic cells. Microscopy was used to evaluate the effect of copper stress on a mature P. aeruginosa biofilm. The exterior of the biofilm was preferentially killed after exposure to elevated concentrations of copper, and the majority of living cells were near the substratum. A potential explanation for this is that the extracellular polymeric substances that encase a biofilm may be responsible for protecting cells from heavy metal stress by binding the heavy metals and retarding their diffusion within the biofilm.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Rd., Evanston, IL 60208. Phone: (847) 467-7445. Fax: (847) 491-4011. E-mail: m-parsek{at}northwestern.edu.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, April 2003, p. 2313-2320, Vol. 69, No. 4
0099-2240/03/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/AEM.69.4.2313-2320.2003
Copyright © 2003, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Harrison, J. J., Turner, R. J., Joo, D. A., Stan, M. A., Chan, C. S., Allan, N. D., Vrionis, H. A., Olson, M. E., Ceri, H. (2008). Copper and Quaternary Ammonium Cations Exert Synergistic Bactericidal and Antibiofilm Activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 52: 2870-2881 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Simonetti, O., Cirioni, O., Ghiselli, R., Goteri, G., Scalise, A., Orlando, F., Silvestri, C., Riva, A., Saba, V., Madanahally, K. D., Offidani, A., Balaban, N., Scalise, G., Giacometti, A. (2008). RNAIII-Inhibiting Peptide Enhances Healing of Wounds Infected with Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 52: 2205-2211 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Takenaka, S., Trivedi, H. M., Corbin, A., Pitts, B., Stewart, P. S. (2008). Direct Visualization of Spatial and Temporal Patterns of Antimicrobial Action within Model Oral Biofilms. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 74: 1869-1875 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Starner, T. D., Shrout, J. D., Parsek, M. R., Appelbaum, P. C., Kim, G. (2008). Subinhibitory Concentrations of Azithromycin Decrease Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae Biofilm Formation and Diminish Established Biofilms. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 52: 137-145 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Mueller, R. S., McDougald, D., Cusumano, D., Sodhi, N., Kjelleberg, S., Azam, F., Bartlett, D. H. (2007). Vibrio cholerae Strains Possess Multiple Strategies for Abiotic and Biotic Surface Colonization. J. Bacteriol. 189: 5348-5360 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Zhang, X.-S., Garcia-Contreras, R., Wood, T. K. (2007). YcfR (BhsA) Influences Escherichia coli Biofilm Formation through Stress Response and Surface Hydrophobicity. J. Bacteriol. 189: 3051-3062 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Vilchez, R., Pozo, C., Gomez, M. A., Rodelas, B., Gonzalez-Lopez, J. (2007). Dominance of sphingomonads in a copper-exposed biofilm community for groundwater treatment. Microbiology 153: 325-337 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Teitzel, G. M., Geddie, A., De Long, S. K., Kirisits, M. J., Whiteley, M., Parsek, M. R. (2006). Survival and Growth in the Presence of Elevated Copper: Transcriptional Profiling of Copper-Stressed Pseudomonas aeruginosa.. J. Bacteriol. 188: 7242-7256 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Searcy, K. E., Packman, A. I., Atwill, E. R., Harter, T. (2006). Capture and Retention of Cryptosporidium parvum Oocysts by Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilms. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 72: 6242-6247 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Junker, L. M., Peters, J. E., Hay, A. G. (2006). Global analysis of candidate genes important for fitness in a competitive biofilm using DNA-array-based transposon mapping.. Microbiology 152: 2233-2245 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Abulencia, C. B., Wyborski, D. L., Garcia, J. A., Podar, M., Chen, W., Chang, S. H., Chang, H. W., Watson, D., Brodie, E. L., Hazen, T. C., Keller, M. (2006). Environmental whole-genome amplification to access microbial populations in contaminated sediments.. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 72: 3291-3301 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Rasmussen, T. B., Givskov, M. (2006). Quorum sensing inhibitors: a bargain of effects.. Microbiology 152: 895-904 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • An, D., Danhorn, T., Fuqua, C., Parsek, M. R. (2006). Quorum sensing and motility mediate interactions between Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Agrobacterium tumefaciens in biofilm cocultures.. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 103: 3828-3833 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Searcy, K. E., Packman, A. I., Atwill, E. R., Harter, T. (2006). Deposition of cryptosporidium oocysts in streambeds.. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 72: 1810-1816 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Priester, J. H., Olson, S. G., Webb, S. M., Neu, M. P., Hersman, L. E., Holden, P. A. (2006). Enhanced Exopolymer Production and Chromium Stabilization in Pseudomonas putida Unsaturated Biofilms.. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 72: 1988-1996 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Banin, E., Brady, K. M., Greenberg, E. P. (2006). Chelator-Induced Dispersal and Killing of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Cells in a Biofilm.. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 72: 2064-2069 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Harrison, J. J., Ceri, H., Roper, N. J., Badry, E. A., Sproule, K. M., Turner, R. J. (2005). Persister cells mediate tolerance to metal oxyanions in Escherichia coli. Microbiology 151: 3181-3195 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Baker-Austin, C., Dopson, M., Wexler, M., Sawers, R. G., Bond, P. L. (2005). Molecular insight into extreme copper resistance in the extremophilic archaeon 'Ferroplasma acidarmanus' Fer1. Microbiology 151: 2637-2646 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Hu, Z., Hidalgo, G., Houston, P. L., Hay, A. G., Shuler, M. L., Abruna, H. D., Ghiorse, W. C., Lion, L. W. (2005). Determination of Spatial Distributions of Zinc and Active Biomass in Microbial Biofilms by Two-Photon Laser Scanning Microscopy. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 71: 4014-4021 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Massieux, B., Boivin, M. E. Y., van den Ende, F. P., Langenskiold, J., Marvan, P., Barranguet, C., Admiraal, W., Laanbroek, H. J., Zwart, G. (2004). Analysis of Structural and Physiological Profiles To Assess the Effects of Cu on Biofilm Microbial Communities. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 70: 4512-4521 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Lawrence, J. R., Chenier, M. R., Roy, R., Beaumier, D., Fortin, N., Swerhone, G. D. W., Neu, T. R., Greer, C. W. (2004). Microscale and Molecular Assessment of Impacts of Nickel, Nutrients, and Oxygen Level on Structure and Function of River Biofilm Communities. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 70: 4326-4339 [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»