Rhamnolipid but not motility is associated with the initiation of biofilm seeding dispersal of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain PA17.

Seeding dispersal is an active detachment exhibit in aging Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm. Yet, effect factors of this process in the biofilm of clinical isolated mucoid P. aeruginosa strain remain to be better characterized. In our previous work, one mucoid P. earuginosa strain PA17 was isolated from a patient with recurrent pulmonary infection. In this study, confocal scanning laser microscope combined with LIVE/DEAD viability staining revealed that PA17 biofilm exhibited earlier seeding dispersal than non-mucoid PAO1. We further compared the motility and the expression of motility-associated gene during biofilm development between PA17 and PAO1. PA17 was found to be impaired in all three kinds of motility compared to PAO1. Moreover, we investigated the expression of rhamnolipid-associated genes in PA17 and PAO1 biofilm. The expression of these genes was in accordance with the process of seeding dispersal. Our results indicated that rhamnolipid but not motility is associated with the initiation of seeding dispersal of PA17 biofilm.