Effect of Prevotella intermedia GroEL and DnaK proteins on biofilm formation
2013 Volume 76 Issue 2 Pages 89-100
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2013 Volume 76 Issue 2 Pages 89-100
Recent studies have demonstrated that bacterial heat shock proteins (HSPs) play a role not only as intracellular molecular chaperons, but also as adhesion molecules and stimuli against the host immune system. We examined the effect of recombinant GroEL and DnaK proteins of Prevotella intermedia (P. intermedia) on the biofilm formation of this organism. The recombinant GroEL was also used as an immunogen to obtain rabbit antibodies against the wild-type GroEL of this organism. In addition to the biofilm assay, the genome sequence of P. intermedia strain 17-2 (which is a naturally occurring variant without biofilm-forming capacity) was obtained by using the 454 pyrosequencing technology and mapped on that of the biofilm-forming parent strain 17.
The rabbit polyclonal antibodies recognized 60 kD proteins which had a molecular weight corresponding to that of the wild-type GroEL in the sonicate of strain 17 cells as well as in the culture supernatant. Although recombinant GroEL and DnaK in the culture media inhibited the biofilm formation of strain 17, it enhanced those of strain 17-2 and ATCC 25611 (a type strain for P. intermedia). The genome mapping of strain 17-2 on its parent strain genome revealed that a few genes of strain 17-2 contained extensive mutations. The data obtained in this study suggest that the extracellular GroEL and DnaK of P. intermedia both play a role in the biofilm formation of this organism, and may also suggest that genes highlighted in this study might be responsible for its biofilm formation.
