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  • Anaerobic Metabolism Occurs in the Substratum of Gonococcal Biofilms and May Be Sustained in Part by Nitric Oxide

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    Author(s)
    Falsetta, Megan L
    McEwan, Alastair G
    Jennings, Michael P
    Apicella, Michael A
    Griffith University Author(s)
    Jennings, Michael P.
    Year published
    2010
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    Abstract
    Neisseria gonorrhoeae is the etiologic agent of gonorrhea, which has been among the most frequently reported communicable diseases in the United States since 1960. Women frequently do not exhibit symptoms, which can lead to chronic infection. N. gonorrhoeae readily forms biofilms over abiotic surfaces, over primary and transformed cervical epithelial cells, and over cervical tissues in vivo. Biofilms are often associated with chronic infection, which suggests a link between biofilm formation and asymptomatic gonorrhea in women. Proteins involved in anaerobic metabolism and oxidative-stress tolerance are critical for normal ...
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    Neisseria gonorrhoeae is the etiologic agent of gonorrhea, which has been among the most frequently reported communicable diseases in the United States since 1960. Women frequently do not exhibit symptoms, which can lead to chronic infection. N. gonorrhoeae readily forms biofilms over abiotic surfaces, over primary and transformed cervical epithelial cells, and over cervical tissues in vivo. Biofilms are often associated with chronic infection, which suggests a link between biofilm formation and asymptomatic gonorrhea in women. Proteins involved in anaerobic metabolism and oxidative-stress tolerance are critical for normal biofilm formation of N. gonorrhoeae. Therefore, we examined the spatial profiles of anaerobic respiration in N. gonorrhoeae, using an aniA - gfp transcriptional fusion. Nitric oxide (NO) can elicit biofilm dispersal when present at sublethal concentrations in the surrounding medium. Some reports indicate that NO may also encourage biofilm formation at higher, potentially lethal concentrations. NO is produced by polymorphonuclear lymphocytes (PMNs) and cervical endothelial and epithelial cells. Thus, we also examined the effect of NO on N. gonorrhoeae biofilms. We found that anaerobic respiration occurs predominantly in the substratum of gonococcal biofilms and that expression of aniA is induced over time in biofilms. Treatment with high concentrations of a rapid-release NO donor prevents biofilm formation when supplied early in biofilm development but can also enhance biofilm formation once anaerobic respiration is initiated. NO treatment partially restores biofilm formation in an aniA::kan insertion mutant, which suggests that N. gonorrhoeae in biofilms may use NO as a substrate for anaerobic growth but prefer nitrite.
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    Journal Title
    Infection and Immunity
    Volume
    78
    Issue
    5
    DOI
    https://doi.org/10.1128/IAI.01312-09
    Copyright Statement
    © 2010 American Society for Microbiology. The attached file is reproduced here in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher. Please refer to the journal's website for access to the definitive, published version.
    Subject
    Biological sciences
    Microbiology not elsewhere classified
    Agricultural, veterinary and food sciences
    Biomedical and clinical sciences
    Publication URI
    http://hdl.handle.net/10072/35844
    Collection
    • Journal articles

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