The c-di-GMP phosphodiesterase BifA regulates biofilm development in Pseudomonas putida

Summary We previously showed the isolation of biofilm‐persistent Pseudomonas putida mutants that fail to undergo biofilm dispersal upon entry in stationary phase. Two such mutants were found to bear insertions in PP0914, encoding a GGDEF/EAL domain protein with high similarity to Pseudomonas aeruginosa BifA. Here we show the phenotypic characterization of a ΔbifA mutant in P. putida KT2442. This mutant displayed increased biofilm and pellicle formation, cell aggregation in liquid medium and decreased starvation‐induced biofilm dispersal relative to the wild type. Unlike its P. aeruginosa counterpart, P. putida BifA did not affect swarming motility. The hyperadherent phenotype of the ΔbifA mutant correlates with a general increase in cyclic diguanylate (c‐di‐GMP) levels, Congo Red‐binding exopolysaccharide production and transcription of the adhesin‐encoding lapA gene. Integrity of the EAL motif and a modified GGDEF motif (altered to GGDQF) were crucial for BifA activity, and c‐di‐GMP depletion by overexpression of a heterologous c‐di‐GMP phosphodiesterase in the ΔbifA mutant restored wild‐type biofilm dispersal and lapA expression. Our results indicate that BifA is a phosphodiesterase involved in the regulation of the c‐di‐GMP pool and required for the generation of the low c‐di‐GMP signal that triggers starvation‐induced biofilm dispersal.