A gliding bacterium strain inhibits adhesion and motility of another gliding bacterium strain in a marine biofilm

Two species of gliding bacteria were isolated from a marine biofilm. They were described and identified as members of the genus Cytophaga. One of them (RB1057) produced an extracellular inhibitor of colony expansion of the other (RB1058). The inhibitor was characterized as a glycoprotein with an apparent molecular mass of 60 kDa. It inhibited RB1058 adhesion to and gliding on substrata. Motility and adhesion of several other aquatic gliding bacteria were not measurably affected by this agent.