Social motility of biofilm-like microcolonies in a gliding bacterium

Chao Li, Amanda Hurley, Wei Hu, Jay W. Warrick, Gabriel L. Lozano, Jose M. Ayuso, Wenxiao Pan, Jo Handelsman and David J. Beebe ()
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Chao Li: University of Wisconsin-Madison
Amanda Hurley: University of Wisconsin-Madison
Wei Hu: University of Wisconsin-Madison
Jay W. Warrick: University of Wisconsin-Madison
Gabriel L. Lozano: University of Wisconsin-Madison
Jose M. Ayuso: University of Wisconsin-Madison
Wenxiao Pan: University of Wisconsin-Madison
Jo Handelsman: University of Wisconsin-Madison
David J. Beebe: University of Wisconsin-Madison

Nature Communications, 2021, vol. 12, issue 1, 1-12

Abstract: Abstract Bacterial biofilms are aggregates of surface-associated cells embedded in an extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) matrix, and are typically stationary. Studies of bacterial collective movement have largely focused on swarming motility mediated by flagella or pili, in the absence of a biofilm. Here, we describe a unique mode of collective movement by a self-propelled, surface-associated biofilm-like multicellular structure. Flavobacterium johnsoniae cells, which move by gliding motility, self-assemble into spherical microcolonies with EPS cores when observed by an under-oil open microfluidic system. Small microcolonies merge, creating larger ones. Microscopic analysis and computer simulation indicate that microcolonies move by cells at the base of the structure, attached to the surface by one pole of the cell. Biochemical and mutant analyses show that an active process drives microcolony self-assembly and motility, which depend on the bacterial gliding apparatus. We hypothesize that this mode of collective bacterial movement on solid surfaces may play potential roles in biofilm dynamics, bacterial cargo transport, or microbial adaptation. However, whether this collective motility occurs on plant roots or soil particles, the native environment for F. johnsoniae, is unknown.

Date: 2021
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25408-7

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