A METHOD FOR THE STUDY OF DE-NOVO PROTEIN-SYNTHESIS IN PSEUDOMONAS-AERUGINOSA AFTER ATTACHMENT

The study of biofilms has indicated that bacteria behave fundamentally differently in this habitat than in suspension. The aim of the study reported here was to determine whether P. aeruginosa PAO1 undergoes an y changes during attachment to an abiotic surface. A method for the st udy of de novo protein synthesis in attached bacteria was developed. T his was used to demonstrate that the synthesis of several proteins in P. aeruginosa was influenced by attachment of cells. Attachment influe nced the synthesis of at least 11 proteins during various stages after attachment. Attachment per se was demonstrated to exert some effect o n the regulation of certain genes. It is not clear whether this is at the transcriptional or translational level, and what the nature of the attachment-mediated signal is.