The Bep gene cluster in Burkholderia cenocepacia H111 codes for a water-insoluble exopolysaccharide essential for biofilm formation

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

  • Barbara Bellich
  • Lucrecia C. Terán
  • Magnus M. Fazli
  • Francesco Berti
  • Roberto Rizzo
  • Tolker-Nielsen, Tim
  • Paola Cescutti

Burkholderia cenocepacia is an opportunistic pathogen isolated from cystic fibrosis patients where it causes infections that are extremely difficult to treat with antibiotics, and sometimes have a fatal outcome. Biofilm is a virulence trait of B. cenocepacia, and is associated with infection persistence and increased tolerance to antibiotics. In biofilms exopolysaccharides have an important role, conferring mechanical stability and antibiotic tolerance. Two different exopolysaccharides were isolated from B. cenocepacia H111 biofilms: a water-soluble polysaccharide rich in rhamnose and containing an L-Man residue, and a water-insoluble polymer made of glucose, galactose and mannose. In the present work, the product encoded by B. cenocepacia H111 bepA-L gene cluster was identified as the water-insoluble exopolysaccharide, using mutant strains and NMR spectroscopy of the purified polysaccharides. It was also demonstrated that the B. cenocepacia H111 wild type strain produces the water-insoluble exopolysaccharide in pellicles, thus underlining its potential importance in in vivo infections.

Original languageEnglish
Article number120318
JournalCarbohydrate Polymers
Volume301
ISSN0144-8617
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2023

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 Elsevier Ltd

    Research areas

  • bepA-L gene cluster, Biofilm, Burkholderia cenocepacia, Exopolysaccharide structure, NMR spectroscopy

ID: 330895722