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Applied and Environmental Microbiology, January 2009, p. 246-251, Vol. 75, No. 1
0099-2240/09/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AEM.01144-08
Copyright © 2009, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

F1C Fimbriae Play an Important Role in Biofilm Formation and Intestinal Colonization by the Escherichia coli Commensal Strain Nissle 1917{triangledown}

Melissa A. Lasaro,1,{dagger} Nina Salinger,2,{dagger} Jing Zhang,3,{dagger} Yantao Wang,3 Zhengtao Zhong,4 Mark Goulian,1 and Jun Zhu2,4*

Department of Biology,1 Department of Microbiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104,2 MOA Key Lab of Microbiological Engineering of Agricultural Environment, Nanjing Agricultural University,3 State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China4

Received 21 May 2008/ Accepted 30 October 2008

Bacterial biofilm formation is thought to enhance survival in natural environments and during interaction with hosts. A robust colonizer of the human gastrointestinal tract, Escherichia coli Nissle 1917, is widely employed in probiotic therapy. In this study, we performed a genetic screen to identify genes that are involved in Nissle biofilm formation. We found that F1C fimbriae are required for biofilm formation on an inert surface. In addition, these structures are also important for adherence to epithelial cells and persistence in infant mouse colonization. The data suggest a possible connection between Nissle biofilm formation and the survival of this commensal within the host. Further study of the requirements for robust biofilm formation may improve the therapeutic efficacy of Nissle 1917.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Microbiology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104. Phone: (215) 573-4104. Fax: (215) 898-9557. E-mail: junzhu{at}mail.med.upenn.edu

{triangledown} Published ahead of print on 7 November 2008.

{dagger} These authors contributed equally to this work.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, January 2009, p. 246-251, Vol. 75, No. 1
0099-2240/09/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AEM.01144-08
Copyright © 2009, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



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