Effects of external stimuli on environmental bacterial strains harboring an algD-lux bioluminescent reporter plasmid for the study of corrosive biofilms

Abstract

An alginic acid biosynthesis bioluminescent reporter plasmid, pUTK50, was transconjugated into environmental strains of Pseudomonas putida, Pseudomonas fluorescens, and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. Bioluminescent transconjugates were selected from each strain for investigation of environmental stress factors that promote alginic acid exopolymer biosynthesis in developing biofilms. Environmental stimuli associated with increased levels of alginate synthesis, in a previously developed organism, P. aeruginosa FRD1, were applied to the environmental strains. Increased salt concentrations and higher ratios of nitrate vs ammonium ions as the limiting nitrogen source induced bioluminescence in FRD1 and the environmental strains. However, for environmental strains of P. putida, P. fluorescens and S. maltophilia, polysaccharides were detected with low uronic acids content and different structural components. When tested within a biofilm, S. maltophilia O46 demonstrated exceptional adhesive and corrosive properties while alginic acid synthesis was not high. In most of the environmental strains, periods of increased bioluminescence were induced by external stimuli, but exopolysaccharides other than alginic acid were expressed. It is hypothesized that the environmental strains have homologous but nonidentical promoter sequences which are responsive to certain environmental stimuli and may control genes necessary for the production of alternative exopolysaccharides. © 1995 Society for Industrial Microbiology.