Inter-Species Inhibition of Adhesion between Gliding Bacteria from Marine.

Several cell surface properties of gliding bacteria isolated from marine and fresh water biofilms have been characterized. No generalization about the relationship of surface hydrophobicity and adhesion can be made. An immobilized iodination protocol allowed the identification of cell surface- exposed proteins of some of these gliding bacteria. Adhesion-defective mutants demonstrated differences in their iodination patterns. Extracellular polymers, thought to mediate adhesion in these bacteria, have also been partially characterized. One species produces two polysaccharides, one of which is a glucose homopolymer the second is a heteropolysaccharide. A second species produces a viscous slime, the rheological properties of which are due to the presence of polypeptides. A high molecular weight inhibitor of adhesion of a number of aquatic bacteria is produced by another marine biofilm glider. This has been partially characterized and has been tentatively identified as a protein. Marine gliding bacteria, biofilm, adhesion, slime.