The absence of OprF increased biofilm formation through variation of the c- di-GMP level in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Abstract : Introduction Pseudomonas aeruginosa is well known to be a human opportunistic pathogen able to adapt to many environmental conditions. The first cellular structure in contact with the environment is the outer membrane. In Pseudomonas genus, OprF is the major outer membrane protein. It is an aspecific porin allowing the diffusion of several types of small polar molecules. OprF is also a pleiotropic protein involved in other numerous cellular functions, as adhesion on biotic or abiotic surfaces, cell wall resistance and virulence of P. aeruginosa. Through a multiphenotypic study, we show here that the lack of OprF increased biofilm formation through modulation of the c-di-GMP level.