O'Toole, George A.Gibbs, Karine A.Hager, Paul W.Phibbs, Paul V. Jr.Kolter, Roberto2011-04-282011-05-172011-04-282011-05-172000-01Journal of Bacteriology; 182:2 p. 425-431http://hdl.handle.net/10342/3373The transition from a planktonic (free-swimming) existence to growth attached to a surface in a biofilm occurs in response to environmental factors, including the availability of nutrients. We show that the catabolite repression control (Crc) protein, which plays a role in the regulation of carbon metabolism, is necessary for biofilm formation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Using phase-contrast microscopy, we found that a crc mutant only makes a dispersed monolayer of cells on a plastic surface but does not develop the dense monolayer punctuated by microcolonies typical of the wild-type strain. This is a phenotype identical to that observed in mutants defective in type IV pilus biogenesis. Consistent with this observation, crc mutants are defective in type IV pilus-mediated twitching motility. We show that this defect in type IV pilus function is due (at least in part) to a decrease in pilA (pilin) transcription. We propose that nutritional cues are integrated by Crc as part of a signal transduction pathway that regulates biofilm development. Originally published Journal of Bacteriology, Vol. 182, No. 2, Jan 2000en-USAuthor notified of opt-out rights by Cammie Jennings prior to upload of this article.BiofilmsPseudomonas aeruginosaCatabolite repression controlArticlePMC9429210.1128/JB.182.2.425-431.2000