Effects of genetic and environmental variables on biofilm development dynamics in Achromobacter mucicolens

Rusul  Al-Kahachi; Sura Al-Asadi; Zainab Oun Ali; Jamila Rampurawala

doi:10.18502/ijm.v15i3.12902

Rusul Al-Kahachi Department of Scholarships and Cultural Relationship, Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Baghdad, Iraq
Sura Al-Asadi Department of Laboratory Techniques, College of Health and Medical Techniques, Middle Technical University, Baghdad, Iraq
Zainab Oun Ali Department of Laboratory Techniques, College of Health and Medical Techniques, Middle Technical University, Baghdad, Iraq
Jamila Rampurawala Department of Applied Genetics, The Oxford College of Science, Bangalore, India

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/ijm.v15i3.12902

Keywords: Achromobacter mucicolens; Biofilms; Carbohydrates; Genome, Bacterial; Drug resistance; Bacterial; Pathoge- nicity

Abstract

Background and Objectives: The study aimed to investigate whether Achromobacter mucicolens IA strain biofilm forma- tion, which contributes to antibiotic resistance, could be enhanced by readily available nutrient sources like carbohydrates and environmental factors such as pH and NaCl. Additionally, the study aimed to identify any inherent genes that support biofilm formation in this strain, which is an opportunistic pathogen that affects immunocompromised patients and is resistant to many antibiotics.

Materials and Methods: Biofilm growth in different carbohydrate, pH, and NaCl concentrated media was measured using crystal violet microtiter assay. All the treatments were subjected to biostatistics analysis for normality, Test of Homogeneity, one way ANOVA analysis. Whole-genome sequencing of our IA strain was conducted to identify various gene sequences.

Results: Biofilm formation was measured at different carbohydrate concentrations, and the optimum biofilm formation was observed at 3M glucose and 0.5M NaCl, while the lowest results were seen at 2M maltose concentration. Whole-genome sequencing identified potential genes involved in biofilm formation, pathogenicity, protein metabolism, flagellar motility, cell wall component synthesis, and a multidrug efflux pump.

Conclusion: These findings suggest that biofilm formation is influenced by extrinsic and intrinsic factors, which could aid in the development of effective treatments for resistant infections.