Anaerobic production of alginate by Pseudomonas aeruginosa: alginate restricts diffusion of oxygen

Pseudomonas aeruginosa produced alginate and elevated algD (encoding GDPmannose 6-dehydrogenase) transcription under strict anaerobic conditions, especially when using nitrate as a terminal electron acceptor. Purified alginate added to bacterial suspensions caused a decrease in growth, suggesting that alginate contributes to oxygen limitation for the organism and likely for patients afflicted with the inherited autosomal disease cystic fibrosis.