Effects of chronic sub-lethal oxidative stress on biofilm formation by Azotobacter vinelandii

This work showed that perturbations of the physiological steady-state level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) affected biofilm genesis and the characteristics of the model bacterium Azotobacter vinelandii. To get a continuous endogenous source of ROS, a strain exposed to chronic sub-lethal oxidative stress was deprived of the gene coding for the antioxidant rhodanese-like protein RhdA (MV474). In this study MV474 biofilm showed (i) a seven-fold higher growth rate, (ii) induction of catalase and alkyl-hydroxyl-peroxidase enzymes, (iii) higher average thicknesses due to increased production of a polysaccharide-rich extracellular matrix and (iv) less susceptibility to hydrogen peroxide than the wild-type strain (UW136). MV474 showed increased swimming and swarming activity and the swarming colonies experienced a higher level of oxidative stress compared to UW136. A continuous exogenous source of ROS increased biofilm formation in UW136. Overall, chronic sub-lethal oxidative events promoted sessile behavior in A. vinelandii.