This work was supported by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration West Virginia Space Grant Consortium (NASA WVSGC), Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF-YU11G0) and NIH P20RR016477 and P20GM103434 to the West Virginia IDeA Network for Biomedical Research Excellence.&#160; We thank Vonya M. Eisinger for the technical assistance with this work.

1. Preparation of Bacterial Strains and Biparental Conjugation
<ol>
	<li>Inoculate E. coli SM10/&#955;pir/pFAC in 5 ml of Luria Broth (LB) supplemented with 15 &#181;g/ml of gentamycin and place in a shaking incubator overnight at 37 &#176;C.</li>
	<li>Inoculate P. aeruginosa strain PAO1 in 5 ml of LB, and place in a shaking incubator overnight at 42 &#176;C.</li>
	<li>Measure OD600 of overnight cultures and mix equal amounts of PAO1 and E. coli pFAC such that the final volume is between 1-1.4 ml.</li>
	<li>Centrifuge mixture at 6,000 x g for 5 min.</li>
	<li>Meanwhile, dry LB plates for conjugation: leave plates open in incubator at 37 &#176;C for 10-15 min.</li>
	<li>Remove all but 50 &#181;l of supernatant from cell mixture.</li>
	<li>Resuspend the cell pellet in the remaining 50 &#181;l of supernatant and pipette onto a dry LB plate in one compact droplet.</li>
	<li>Carefully place the plate in a fume hood to dry (IMPORTANT Note: Do not let cells spread over the plate, this will significantly decrease the efficiency of the conjugation).</li>
	<li>Once the droplet is dry, invert the LB plate and incubate at 37 &#176;C for 4-6 hr.</li>
	<li>While the cell mixture is incubating, prepare large (150 O.D. x 15 mm) PIA plates with 300 &#181;g/ml of gentamycin. Before use, remove any residual moisture by placing in an incubator at 37 &#176;C for 15-20 min.</li>
	<li>After the incubation of the cell mixture is complete, collect the cells using a sterile inoculation loop and in a microcentrifuge tube containing 1 ml LB and vortex, or pipette, to mix thoroughly.</li>
	<li>Spread the cells evenly onto the large PIA plates contain 300 &#181;g/ml gentamycin. (IMPORTANT: For this step, it is best to add increasing volumes of the cell mixture to separate plates (e.g. Plate 1: 10 &#181;l, Plate 2: 50 &#181;l, Plate 3: 100 &#181;l, Plate 4: 500 &#181;l,&#160;etc.).</li>
	<li>Incubate overnight at 37 &#176;C.</li>
</ol>
2. Detection and Isolation of Mucoid Colonies
<ol>
	<li>Remove plates from incubator and examine for mucoid colonies.</li>
	<li>Isolate a single mucoid colony and streak for isolation on small plates (100 O.D. x 10 mm) with PIA and 300 &#181;g/ml of gentamycin.</li>
	<li>Incubate overnight at 37 &#176;C.</li>
	<li>Repeat step&#160;2.2 on the previous overnight culture.</li>
	<li>Repeat steps&#160;2.2-2.4 two more times to determine stability of the mucoid isolate.</li>
	<li>After final isolate step, inoculate 4.5 ml of LB with a single mucoid colony and incubate in shaker overnight at 37 &#176;C.</li>
	<li>Next day, label 3 microcentrifuge tubes for each mucoid mutant.</li>
	<li>Prepare two 1.25 ml aliquots of overnight culture into 2 tubes for genomic DNA extraction and identification of the transposon insertion site (see Protocol 3).</li>
	<li>Additionally, archive each mucoid mutant by pipetting 1 ml overnight culture into an appropriately-labeled cryovial containing an equal volume of 10% skim milk. Store at -86 &#176;C.</li>
</ol>
3. gDNA Restriction Digestion and Ligation
<ol>
	<li>Extract gDNA from the mucoid mutant using any preferred method (e.g. phenol-chloroform, spin column, etc.).</li>
	<li>Determine the concentration of the gDNA, digest a total of 2 &#181;g with 1 &#181;l of the restriction endonuclease SalI, 0.5 &#181;l of bovine serum albumin, 5 &#181;l of SalI enzyme buffer (100 mM NaCl, 50 mM Tris-HCl, 10 mM MgCl2, 1 mM Dithiothrietol (DTT), pH 7.9 at room temperature), and the appropriate volume of dH2O to achieve a total volume of 50 &#181;l.</li>
	<li>Digest DNA overnight at 37 &#176;C. (IMPORTANT: Depending on the efficiency of the restriction enzyme, it may be necessary to add an additional 1 &#181;l to the overnight digest and incubate at 37 &#176;C for 1-2 hr. This is in addition to the overnight digest.)</li>
	<li>Purify the digested DNA using any preferred method (e.g. agarose gel purification, spin columns) and elute with 25 &#181;l of buffer.</li>
	<li>Ligate the digested DNA by mixing 11 &#181;l of purified DNA with a preferred concentration of ~10-20 ng/&#181;l, 1.5 &#181;l of Ligation Buffer (330 mM Tris-acetate pH 7.5, 660 mM potassium acetate, 100 mM magnesium acetate, 5 mM DTT), 1.5 &#181;l of 100 mM ATP and 1 &#181;l DNA ligase.</li>
	<li>Incubate the mixture for 15 min at room temperature, and then inactivate the enzyme by incubating for 15 min at 70 &#176;C. (Note: Incubating the mixture at room temperature for longer may increase the success of the ligation).</li>
</ol>
4. Inverse PCR (iPCR) and Sequence Analysis
<ol>
	<li>Perform iPCR on ligation product using the following forward and reverse primers and thermocycling conditions: 
	-Forward Primer (Gm3OUT): GGGCATACGGGAAGAAGTGA 
	-Reverse Primer (Gm5OUT): GACTGCCCTGCTGCGTAACA 
	Thermocycler Conditions: 
	1. 94 &#176;C for 1 min. 
	2. 94 &#176;C for 1 min. 
	3. 58 &#176;C for 2 min. 
	4. 72 &#176;C for 2 min. 
	5. 72 &#176;C for 8 min. 
	6. 10 &#176;C hold. 
	Repeat steps 2-4 for 34 cycles. 
	(NOTE: Amplified iPCR products can be stored at 4 &#176;C.)</li>
	<li>Perform agarose gel electrophoresis to confirm successful iPCR amplification.</li>
	<li>Perform sequencing on the iPCR product using the Gm3OUT and Gm5OUT primers. The insertion site and the orientation of himar1 are mapped out.</li>
</ol>

<ol>
	<li>Govan, J. R., Deretic, V. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Microbial+pathogenesis+in+cystic+fibrosis:+mucoid+Pseudomonas+aeruginosa+and+Burkholderia+cepacia.">Microbial pathogenesis in cystic fibrosis: mucoid Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Burkholderia cepacia.</a> Microbiol. Rev. 60, 539-574 (1996).</li><li>Chitnis, C. E., Ohman, D. E. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Genetic+analysis+of+the+alginate+biosynthetic+gene+cluster+of+Pseudomonas+aeruginosa+shows+evidence+of+an+operonic+structure.">Genetic analysis of the alginate biosynthetic gene cluster of Pseudomonas aeruginosa shows evidence of an operonic structure.</a> Mol. Microbiol. 8, 583-593 (1993).</li><li>Franklin, M. J., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Pseudomonas+aeruginosa+AlgG+is+a+polymer+level+alginate+C5-mannuronan+epimerase.">Pseudomonas aeruginosa AlgG is a polymer level alginate C5-mannuronan epimerase.</a> J. Bacteriol. 176, 1821-1830 (1994).</li><li>Franklin, M. J., Ohman, D. E. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Mutant+analysis+and+cellular+localization+of+the+AlgI,+AlgJ,+and+AlgF+proteins+required+for+O+acetylation+of+alginate+in+Pseudomonas+aeruginosa.">Mutant analysis and cellular localization of the AlgI, AlgJ, and AlgF proteins required for O acetylation of alginate in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.</a> J. Bacteriol. 184, 3000-3007 (2002).</li><li>Deretic, V., Gill, J. F., Chakrabarty, A. M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Gene+algD+coding+for+GDPmannose+dehydrogenase+is+transcriptionally+activated+in+mucoid+Pseudomonas+aeruginosa.">Gene algD coding for GDPmannose dehydrogenase is transcriptionally activated in mucoid Pseudomonas aeruginosa.</a> J. Bacteriol. 169, 351-358 (1987).</li><li>Mathee, K., McPherson, C. J., Ohman, D. E. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Posttranslational+control+of+the+algT+(algU)-encoded+sigma22+for+expression+of+the+alginate+regulon+in+Pseudomonas+aeruginosa+and+localization+of+its+antagonist+proteins+MucA+and+MucB+(AlgN)..">Posttranslational control of the algT (algU)-encoded sigma22 for expression of the alginate regulon in Pseudomonas aeruginosa and localization of its antagonist proteins MucA and MucB (AlgN)..</a> J. Bacteriol. 179, 3711-3720 (1997).</li><li>Boucher, J. C., Schurr, M. J., Yu, H., Rowen, D. W., Deretic, V. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Pseudomonas+aeruginosa+in+cystic+fibrosis:+role+of+mucC+in+the+regulation+of+alginate+production+and+stress+sensitivity.">Pseudomonas aeruginosa in cystic fibrosis: role of mucC in the regulation of alginate production and stress sensitivity.</a> Microbiology. 143, 3473-3480 (1997).</li><li>Martin, D. W., Holloway, B. W., Deretic, V. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Characterization+of+a+locus+determining+the+mucoid+status+of+Pseudomonas+aeruginosa:+AlgU+shows+sequence+similarities+with+a+Bacillus+sigma+factor.">Characterization of a locus determining the mucoid status of Pseudomonas aeruginosa: AlgU shows sequence similarities with a Bacillus sigma factor.</a> J. Bacteriol. 175, 1153-1164 (1993).</li><li>Damron, F. H., Goldberg, J. B. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Proteolytic+regulation+of+alginate+overproduction+in+Pseudomonas+aeruginosa.">Proteolytic regulation of alginate overproduction in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.</a> Mol. Microbiol. 84 (4), 595-607 (2012).</li><li>Browne, P., Barret, M., O'Gara, F., Morrissey, J. P. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Computational+prediction+of+the+Crc+regulon+identifies+genus-wide+and+species-specific+targets+of+catabolite+repression+control+in+Pseudomonas+bacteria.">Computational prediction of the Crc regulon identifies genus-wide and species-specific targets of catabolite repression control in Pseudomonas bacteria.</a> BMC Microbiol. 10, 300 (2010).</li><li>Damron, F. H., Qiu, D., Yu, H. D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+Pseudomonas+aeruginosa+sensor+kinase+KinB+negatively+controls+alginate+production+through+AlgW-dependent+MucA+proteolysis.">The Pseudomonas aeruginosa sensor kinase KinB negatively controls alginate production through AlgW-dependent MucA proteolysis.</a> J. Bacteriol. 191, 2285-2295 (2009).</li><li>Damron, F. H., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Analysis+of+the+Pseudomonas+aeruginosa+regulon+controlled+by+the+sensor+kinase+KinB+and+sigma+factor+RpoN.">Analysis of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa regulon controlled by the sensor kinase KinB and sigma factor RpoN.</a> J. Bacteriol. 194, 1317-1330 (2012).</li><li>Qiu, D., Eisinger, V. M., Rowen, D. W., Yu, H. D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Regulated+proteolysis+controls+mucoid+conversion+in+Pseudomonas+aeruginosa.">Regulated proteolysis controls mucoid conversion in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.</a> Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 104, 8107-8112 (2007).</li><li>Schurr, M. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Which+bacterial+biofilm+exopolysaccharide+is+preferred,+Psl+or+alginate.">Which bacterial biofilm exopolysaccharide is preferred, Psl or alginate.</a> J. Bacteriol. 195, 1623-1626 (2013).</li><li>Wong, S. M., Mekalanos, J. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Genetic+footprinting+with+mariner-based+transposition+in+Pseudomonas+aeruginosa.">Genetic footprinting with mariner-based transposition in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.</a> Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 97, 10191-10196 (2000).</li><li>Lampe, D. J., Akerley, B. J., Rubin, E. J., Mekalanos, J. J., Robertson, H. 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The author Hongwei D. Yu is the Chief Science Officer and Cofounder of Progenesis Technologies, LLC.

It is important to note that this method can be used in other Pseudomonas species with these alterations: incubate P. fluorescens and P. putida at 30 &#176;C, and P. stutzeri at 42 &#176;C; P. stuzeri should be cultured on LB plates supplemented with 150 &#181;g/mL of gentamycin; on step 1.11, P. stutzeri cells should be transferred into 500 &#181;l of LB instead of 1 ml. Additionally, there are two critical steps for this protocol. First, the recipient strain should ...

The ability of the opportunistic, Gram-negative pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa to overproduce alginate is a major factor in its ability to establish a biofilm. The overproduction of alginate is a phenotype often referred to as mucoidy. The isolation of mucoid colonies from the sputa of individuals afflicted with cystic fibrosis (CF) is indicative of a chronic infection, and is directly associated with an overall decline in the patient&#39;s health1. Currently, it is understood that the regulation and production of alginate in P. aeruginosa primarily occurs at two operons. The first is the alginate biosynthetic operon, which contains 12 genes (algD-alg8-alg44-algK-algE-algG-algX-algL-algI-algJ-algF-algA) that are responsible for the synthesis and export of the alginate polymer across the periplasm to the extracellular environment2-5. The second operon is a cluster of genes beginning with the alternative sigma factor algU/T and continuing with mucA, mucB, and mucD. AlgU/T is a positive regulator, while mucAB-D are classified as negative regulators of alginate production6-8. Additionally, transcriptional regulators, such as AlgB, AlgQ, AlgR, and RpoN, as well as post-transcriptional and post-translational modification by catabolite repression control, kinase activity (KinB) and intramembrane proteolysis, have also been shown to be involved in alginate regulation9-14.
The mini-himar1 transposon vector known as pFAC was originally created in Dr. Mekalanos&#39; lab at Harvard Medical School15. The pFAC plasmid consists of a transposable element flanked by two inverted repeats of 27 bps and a gentamycin resistance cassette in the middle (aacC1: 534 bp), a gene encoding the hyperactive mariner transposase16, and a gene encoding &#946;-lactamase (bla) (Figure 1) . Sequence information for the transposable element of pFAC is available at the GenBank accession number: DQ36630013. In pFAC, there is a multiple cloning site (MCS) behind the aacC1 gene which is used for the identification of the chromosomal insertion site using inverse PCR. One major advantage with using the mini-himar1 transposon is no specific host factors are required for transposition (mutagenesis). Additionally, there is high abundance of the TA dinucleotide insertion sites found throughout the genome of P. aeruginosa. For example, TA dinucleotide insertion sites occurs 94,404 and 100,229 times in the PAO1 (6,264,404 bps, GenBank accession number NC_002516.2) and PA14 (6,537,648 bps; GenBank access number NC_008463) genomes, respectively. Because of the abundance of TA dinucleotide in the genome, mini-himar1 transposon can cause the high-density and random mutagenesis, which is particularly suitable for the analysis of virulence genes and the genes that are highly regulated. Theoretically, the mini-himar1 transposon can insert into any nonessential gene within the genome of P. aeruginosa. This provides approximately 18 TA insertion sites per open reading frame in the PAO1 genome.
Here, we describe a protocol using mini-himar1 transposon-mediated mutagenesis to identify novel regulators of mucoidy in P. aeruginosa. More specifically, we biparentally conjugated the pFAC vector containing a mini-himar1 transposon from E. coli SM10/&#955;pir into the nonmucoid prototrophic strain PAO1. After the transposon is integrated in the genome, the recipient strain is cultured on Pseudomonas isolation agar (PIA) containing triclosan which inhibits the growth of E. coli. Thus, a library of mutants of P. aeruginosa can be selected by the growth on PIA plate supplemented with gentamycin and the presence of the mucoid phenotype. Note, a true transposon-mediated vs. an integration mutant will have a gentamycin resistant and carbenicillin-sensitive phenotype. In this study, approximately 80,000 insertion mutants of PAO1 were isolated through four separate conjugations. We then screened for mucoid isolates, and determined the site of insertion by restriction enzyme digestion, ligation and inverse PCR. We performed Southern blot analysis using the gentamycin resistance cassette as a probe to see the number of insertion per genome. We determined that more than 90% of mutants obtained per conjugation using this protocol had only a single copy of the himar1 in the genome and displayed the gentamycin resistant and carbenicillin-sensitive phenotype. A total of 32 mucoid isolates were identified, 22 of them were mapped to different loci of the P. aeruginosa PAO1 chromosome. This rate of insertion provides adequate coverage to identify several novel regulators of alginate overproduction.

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="780">
	<colgroup>
		<col />
		<col />
		<col />
		<col />
	</colgroup>
	<tbody>
		<tr height="22">
			<td height="22" style="height:22px;width:267px;">Luria Broth</td>
			<td style="width:187px;">Difco</td>
			<td style="width:125px;">240230</td>
			<td style="width:203px;">via Fisher Scientific</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Pseudomonas isolation agar</td>
			<td>Difco</td>
			<td>292710</td>
			<td>via Fisher Scientific</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Small Plates (100 O.D. x 10 mm)</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>08-757-13</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Large Plates (150 O.D. x 15 mm)</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>08-757-14</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Glycerol</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>BP229-4</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Benchtop Shaking Incubator</td>
			<td>New Brunswick Scientific</td>
			<td>Innova 4080</td>
			<td>shake at 200 rpm</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Cabinet Incubator</td>
			<td>VWR</td>
			<td>1540</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Benchtop Microcentrifuge</td>
			<td>Sorvall</td>
			<td>75-003-287</td>
			<td>via Fisher Scientific</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">SmartSpec Plus Spectrophotometer</td>
			<td>Bio-Rad</td>
			<td>170-2525</td>
			<td>or preferred method/vendor</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Diposable Inoculation Loops</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>22-363-597</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">1.5 mL Microcentrifuge Tubes</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>05-408-129</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">2.0 mL Cryogenic Vials</td>
			<td>Corning</td>
			<td>430659</td>
			<td>via Fisher Scientific</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">15 mL Tubes</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>05-539-12</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Skim Milk</td>
			<td>Difco</td>
			<td>DF0032-17-3</td>
			<td>via Fisher Scientific</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">DNeasy Blood and Tissue (250)&#160;</td>
			<td>Qiagen</td>
			<td>69506</td>
			<td>or preferred method/vendor</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">QIAquick PCR Purification Kit (250)</td>
			<td>Qiagen</td>
			<td>28106</td>
			<td>or preferred method/vendor</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">QIAprep Spin Miniprep Kit (250)&#160;</td>
			<td>Qiagen</td>
			<td>27106</td>
			<td>or preferred method/vendor</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">FastLink II DNA Ligation Kit</td>
			<td>Epicentre Technologies</td>
			<td>LK6201H</td>
			<td>via Fisher Scientific</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Accu block Digital Dry Bath&#160;</td>
			<td>Labnet</td>
			<td>NC0205808</td>
			<td>via Fisher Scientific</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Sal1, restriction endonuclease</td>
			<td>New England BioLabs</td>
			<td>R0138L</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">EasyStart Micro 50</td>
			<td>Molecular BioProducts</td>
			<td>6020</td>
			<td>via Fisher Scientific</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Taq DNA Polymerase</td>
			<td>New England BioLabs</td>
			<td>M0267L</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">iCycler, Thermocycler</td>
			<td>Bio-Rad</td>
			<td>170-8740</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">LE agarose</td>
			<td>Genemate</td>
			<td>3120-500</td>
			<td>via Fisher Scientific</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;">Gentamycin Sulfate</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>BP918-1</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="22">
			<td height="22" style="height:22px;">2.0 mL Cryogenic Vials</td>
			<td>Corning</td>
			<td>430659</td>
			<td>via Fisher Scientific</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

identification of novel genes associated with alginate production in pseudomonas aeruginosa using mini-himar1 mariner transposon-mediated mutagenesis

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a Gram-negative, environmental bacterium with versatile metabolic capabilities. P. aeruginosa is an opportunistic bacterial pathogen which establishes chronic pulmonary infections in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). The overproduction of a capsular polysaccharide called alginate, also known as mucoidy, promotes the formation of mucoid biofilms which are more resistant than planktonic cells to antibiotic chemotherapy and host defenses. Additionally, the conversion from the nonmucoid to mucoid phenotype is a clinical marker for the onset of chronic infection in CF. Alginate overproduction by P. aeruginosa is an endergonic process which heavily taxes cellular energy. Therefore, alginate production is highly regulated in P. aeruginosa. To better understand alginate regulation, we describe a protocol using the mini-himar1 transposon mutagenesis for the identification of novel alginate regulators in a prototypic strain PAO1. The procedure consists of two basic steps. First, we transferred the mini-himar1 transposon (pFAC) from host E. coli SM10/&#955;pir into recipient P. aeruginosa PAO1 via biparental conjugation to create a high-density insertion mutant library, which were selected on Pseudomonas isolation agar plates supplemented with gentamycin. Secondly, we screened and isolated the mucoid colonies to map the insertion site through inverse PCR using DNA primers pointing outward from the gentamycin cassette and DNA sequencing. Using this protocol, we have identified two novel alginate regulators, mucE (PA4033) and kinB (PA5484), in strain PAO1 with a wild-type mucA encoding the anti-sigma factor MucA for the master alginate regulator AlgU (AlgT, &#963;22). This high-throughput mutagenesis protocol can be modified for the identification of other virulence-related genes causing change in colony morphology.

As illustrated in Figure 1, the mini-himar1 mariner transposon vector, pFAC, contains two 27 bp inverted repeats with TA insertion sites flanking the aacC1 gentamycin resistance cassette, with its &#963;70-dependent promoter, and a multiple cloning site (MCS). Additionally, the pFAC vector contains genes encoding the highly active himar1 transposase, &#946;-lactamase (bla), and the tra transfer operon. The TA insertion sites allow for an efficient i...

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Identification of Novel Genes Associated with Alginate Production in Pseudomonas aeruginosa Using Mini-himar1 Mariner Transposon-mediated Mutagenesis

Here we describe a protocol using the mini-himar1 mariner transposon-mediated mutagenesis for generating a high-density insertion mutant library to screen, isolate and identify novel alginate regulators in the prototypic Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain PAO1.

Identification of Novel Genes Associated with Alginate Production in Pseudomonas aeruginosa Using Mini-himar1 Mariner Transposon-mediated Mutagenesis

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a Gram-negative, environmental bacterium with versatile metabolic capabilities. P. aeruginosa is an opportunistic bacterial ...

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Immunology and Infection

12.2K Views.  Marshall University. Here we describe a protocol using the mini-himar1 mariner transposon-mediated mutagenesis for generating a high-density insertion mutant library to screen, isolate and identify novel alginate regulators in the prototypic Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain PAO1.

Video: Identification of Novel Genes Associated with Alginate Production in Pseudomonas aeruginosa Using Mini-himar1 Mariner Transposon-mediated Mutagenesis

Co-culture Models of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilms Grown on Live Human Airway Cells

Bacterial biofilms have been associated with a number of different human diseases, but biofilm development has generally been studied on non-living surfaces. In this paper, we describe protocols for forming Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms on human airway epithelial cells (CFBE cells) grown in culture. In the first method (termed the Static Co-culture Biofilm Model), P. aeruginosa is incubated with CFBE cells grown as confluent monolayers on standard tissue culture plates. Although the bacterium is quite toxic to epithelial cells, the addition of arginine delays the destruction of the monolayer long enough for biofilms to form on the CFBE cells. The second method (termed the Flow Cell Co-culture Biofilm Model), involves adaptation of a biofilm flow cell apparatus, which is often used in biofilm research, to accommodate a glass coverslip supporting a confluent monolayer of CFBE cells. This monolayer is inoculated with P. aeruginosa and a peristaltic pump then flows fresh medium across the cells. In both systems, bacterial biofilms form within 6-8 hours after inoculation. Visualization of the biofilm is enhanced by the use of P. aeruginosa strains constitutively expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP). The Static and Flow Cell Co-culture Biofilm assays are model systems for early P. aeruginosa infection of the Cystic Fibrosis (CF) lung, and these techniques allow different aspects of P. aeruginosa biofilm formation and virulence to be studied, including biofilm cytotoxicity, measurement of biofilm CFU, and staining and visualizing the biofilm.

Co-culture Models of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilms Grown on Live Human Airway Cells

This paper describes different methods of growing Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms on cultured human airway epithelial cells. These protocols can be adapted to study different aspects of biofilm formation, including visualization of the biofilm, staining of the biofilm, measuring the colony forming units (CFU) of the biofilm, and studying biofilm cytotoxicity.

Bacterial biofilms have been associated with a number of different human diseases, but biofilm development has generally been studied on non-living ...

Transfection and Mutagenesis of Target Genes in Mosquito Cells by Locked Nucleic Acid-modified Oligonucleotides

Plasmodium parasites, the causative agent of malaria, are transmitted through the bites of infected Anopheles mosquitoes resulting in over 250 million new infections each year. Despite decades of research, there is still no vaccine against malaria, highlighting the need for novel control strategies. One innovative approach is the use of genetically modified mosquitoes to effectively control malaria parasite transmission. Deliberate alterations of cell signaling pathways in the mosquito, via targeted mutagenesis, have been found to regulate parasite development 1. From these studies, we can begin to identify potential gene targets for transformation. Targeted mutagenesis has traditionally relied upon the homologous recombination between a target gene and a large DNA molecule. However, the construction and use of such complex DNA molecules for generation of stably transformed cell lines is costly, time consuming and often inefficient. Therefore, a strategy using locked nucleic acid-modified oligonucleotides (LNA-ONs) provides a useful alternative for introducing artificial single nucleotide substitutions into episomal and chromosomal DNA gene targets (reviewed in 2). LNA-ON-mediated targeted mutagenesis has been used to introduce point mutations into genes of interest in cultured cells of both yeast and mice 3,4. We show here that LNA-ONs can be used to introduce a single nucleotide change in a transfected episomal target that results in a switch from blue fluorescent protein (BFP) expression to green fluorescent protein (GFP) expression in both Anopheles gambiae and Anopheles stephensi cells. This conversion demonstrates for the first time that effective mutagenesis of target genes in mosquito cells can be mediated by LNA-ONs and suggests that this technique may be applicable to mutagenesis of chromosomal targets in vitro and in vivo.

Oligonucleotides can be used to site specifically substitute a single nucleotide of transfected target genes in both Anopheles gambiae and Anopheles stephensi cells.

Plasmodium parasites, the causative agent of malaria, are transmitted through the bites of infected Anopheles mosquitoes resulting in over 250 million new ...

Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Saccharomyces cerevisiae Biofilm in Flow Cells

Many microbial cells have the ability to form sessile microbial communities defined as biofilms that have altered physiological and pathological properties compared to free living microorganisms. Biofilms in nature are often difficult to investigate and reside under poorly defined conditions1. Using a transparent substratum it is possible to device a system where simple biofilms can be examined in a non-destructive way in real-time: here we demonstrate the assembly and operation of a flow cell model system, for in vitro 3D studies of microbial biofilms generating high reproducibility under well-defined conditions2,3.
The system consists of a flow cell that serves as growth chamber for the biofilm. The flow cell is supplied with nutrients and oxygen from a medium flask via a peristaltic pump and spent medium is collected in a waste container. This construction of the flow system allows a continuous supply of nutrients and administration of e.g. antibiotics with minimal disturbance of the cells grown in the flow chamber. Moreover, the flow conditions within the flow cell allow studies of biofilm exposed to shear stress. A bubble trapping device confines air bubbles from the tubing which otherwise could disrupt the biofilm structure in the flow cell.
The flow cell system is compatible with Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy (CLSM) and can thereby provide highly detailed 3D information about developing microbial biofilms. Cells in the biofilm can be labeled with fluorescent probes or proteins compatible with CLSM analysis. This enables online visualization and allows investigation of niches in the developing biofilm. Microbial interrelationship, investigation of antimicrobial agents or the expression of specific genes, are of the many experimental setups that can be investigated in the flow cell system.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Saccharomyces cerevisiae Biofilm in Flow Cells

Protocol describing the application of a flow cell system for growing and analyzing microbial biofilms for Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy (CLSM).

Many microbial cells have the ability to form sessile microbial communities defined as biofilms that have altered physiological and pathological ...

RNA Isolation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Colonizing the Murine Gastrointestinal Tract

Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) infections result in significant morbidity and mortality in hosts with compromised immune systems, such as patients with leukemia, severe burn wounds, or organ transplants1. In patients at high-risk for developing PA bloodstream infections, the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is the main reservoir for colonization2, but the mechanisms by which PA transitions from an asymptomatic colonizing microbe to an invasive, and often deadly, pathogen are unclear. Previously, we performed in vivo transcription profiling experiments by recovering PA mRNA from bacterial cells residing in the cecums of colonized mice 3 in order to identify changes in bacterial gene expression during alterations to the host&#x2019;s immune status.
As with any transcription profiling experiment, the rate-limiting step is in the isolation of sufficient amounts of high quality mRNA. Given the abundance of enzymes, debris, food residues, and particulate matter in the GI tract, the challenge of RNA isolation is daunting. Here, we present a method for reliable and reproducible isolation of bacterial RNA recovered from the murine GI tract. This method utilizes a well-established murine model of PA GI colonization and neutropenia-induced dissemination4. Once GI colonization with PA is confirmed, mice are euthanized and cecal contents are recovered and flash frozen. RNA is then extracted using a combination of mechanical disruption, boiling, phenol/chloroform extractions, DNase treatment, and affinity chromatography. Quantity and purity are confirmed by spectrophotometry (Nanodrop Technologies) and bioanalyzer (Agilent Technologies) (Fig 1). This method of GI microbial RNA isolation can easily be adapted to other bacteria and fungi as well.

RNA Isolation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Colonizing the Murine Gastrointestinal Tract

A reliable method for the RNA isolation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa recovered from murine cecums is described. The RNA recovered is of sufficient quantity and quality for subsequent qPCR, transcription profiling, and RNA Seq experiments. This technique can be adapted for RNA isolation of other intestinal microbes.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) infections result in significant morbidity and mortality in hosts with compromised immune systems, such as patients with ...

Use of Artificial Sputum Medium to Test Antibiotic Efficacy Against Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Conditions More Relevant to the Cystic Fibrosis Lung

There is growing concern about the relevance of in vitro antimicrobial susceptibility tests when applied to isolates of P. aeruginosa from cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. Existing methods rely on single or a few isolates grown aerobically and planktonically. Predetermined cut-offs are used to define whether the bacteria are sensitive or resistant to any given antibiotic1. However, during chronic lung infections in CF, P. aeruginosa populations exist in biofilms and there is evidence that the environment is largely microaerophilic2. The stark difference in conditions between bacteria in the lung and those during diagnostic testing has called into question the reliability and even relevance of these tests3.
 Artificial sputum medium (ASM) is a culture medium containing the components of CF patient sputum, including amino acids, mucin and free DNA. P. aeruginosa growth in ASM mimics growth during CF infections, with the formation of self-aggregating biofilm structures and population divergence4,5,6. The aim of this study was to develop a microtitre-plate assay to study antimicrobial susceptibility of P. aeruginosa based on growth in ASM, which is applicable to both microaerophilic and aerobic conditions.
 An ASM assay was developed in a microtitre plate format. P. aeruginosa biofilms were allowed to develop for 3 days prior to incubation with antimicrobial agents at different concentrations for 24 hours. After biofilm disruption, cell viability was measured by staining with resazurin. This assay was used to ascertain the sessile cell minimum inhibitory concentration (SMIC) of tobramycin for 15 different P. aeruginosa isolates under aerobic and microaerophilic conditions and SMIC values were compared to those obtained with standard broth growth. Whilst there was some evidence for increased MIC values for isolates grown in ASM when compared to their planktonic counterparts, the biggest differences were found with bacteria tested in microaerophilic conditions, which showed a much increased resistance up to a &gt;128 fold, towards tobramycin in the ASM system when compared to assays carried out in aerobic conditions.
 The lack of association between current susceptibility testing methods and clinical outcome has questioned the validity of current methods3. Several in vitro models have been used previously to study P. aeruginosa biofilms7, 8. However, these methods rely on surface attached biofilms, whereas the ASM biofilms resemble those observed in the CF lung9 . In addition, reduced oxygen concentration in the mucus has been shown to alter the behavior of P. aeruginosa2 and affect antibiotic susceptibility10. Therefore using ASM under microaerophilic conditions may provide a more realistic environment in which to study antimicrobial susceptibility.

Use of Artificial Sputum Medium to Test Antibiotic Efficacy Against Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Conditions More Relevant to the Cystic Fibrosis Lung

Current diagnostic antimicrobial susceptibility testing relies on the planktonic growth of isolates in nutrient rich, aerobic conditions. Here, we employ an alternative artificial sputum medium to study antimicrobial susceptibility of Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms under both aerobic and microaerophilic conditions more representative of the cystic fibrosis lung.

There  is growing concern about the relevance of in vitro antimicrobial  susceptibility tests when applied to isolates of P. aeruginosa from  cystic ...

Long Term Chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa Airway Infection in Mice

A mouse model of chronic airway infection is a key asset in cystic fibrosis (CF) research, although there are a number of concerns regarding the model itself. Early phases of inflammation and infection have been widely studied by using the Pseudomonas aeruginosa agar-beads mouse model, while only few reports have focused on the long-term chronic infection in vivo. The main challenge for long term chronic infection remains the low bacterial burden by P. aeruginosa and the low percentage of infected mice weeks after challenge, indicating that bacterial cells are progressively cleared by the host.
This paper presents a method for obtaining efficient long-term chronic infection in mice. This method is based on the embedding of the P. aeruginosa clinical strains in the agar-beads in vitro, followed by intratracheal instillation in C57Bl/6NCrl mice. Bilateral lung infection is associated with several measurable read-outs including weight loss, mortality, chronic infection, and inflammatory response. The P. aeruginosa RP73 clinical strain was preferred over the PAO1 reference laboratory strain since it resulted in a comparatively lower mortality, more severe lesions, and higher chronic infection. P. aeruginosa colonization may persist in the lung for over three months. Murine lung pathology resembles that of CF patients with advanced chronic pulmonary disease.
This murine model most closely mimics the course of the human disease and can be used both for studies on the pathogenesis and for the evaluation of novel therapies.

Long Term Chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa Airway Infection in Mice

We describe the agar-beads method to establish persistent long-term chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa airway infection in the mouse model.

A mouse model of chronic airway infection is a key asset in cystic fibrosis (CF) research, although there are a number of concerns regarding the model ...

Pseudomonas aeruginosa Induced Lung Injury Model

In order to study human acute lung injury and pneumonia, it is important to develop animal models to mimic various pathological features of this disease. Here we have developed a mouse lung injury model by intra-tracheal injection of bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa or PA). Using this model, we were able to show lung inflammation at the early phase of injury. In addition, alveolar epithelial barrier leakiness was observed by analyzing bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL); and alveolar cell death was observed by Tunel assay using tissue prepared from injured lungs. At a later phase following injury, we observed cell proliferation required for the repair process. The injury was resolved 7 days from the initiation of P. aeruginosa injection. This model mimics the sequential course of lung inflammation, injury and repair during pneumonia. This clinically relevant animal model is suitable for studying pathology, mechanism of repair, following acute lung injury, and also can be used to test potential therapeutic agents for this disease.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa Induced Lung Injury Model

We have developed a mouse lung injury model by intra-tracheal injection of bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa. This model mimics lung injury during pneumonia and is clinically relevant.

In order to study human acute lung injury and pneumonia, it is important to develop animal models to mimic various pathological features of this disease. ...

Replication of the Ordered, Nonredundant Library of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain PA14 Transposon Insertion Mutants

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a phenotypically and genotypically diverse and adaptable Gram-negative bacterium ubiquitous in human environments. P. aeruginosa is able to form biofilms, develop antibiotic resistance, produce virulence factors, and rapidly evolve in the course of a chronic infection. Thus P. aeruginosa can cause both acute and chronic, difficult to treat infections, resulting in significant morbidity in certain patient populations. P. aeruginosa strain PA14 is a human clinical isolate with a conserved genome structure that infects a variety of mammalian and nonvertebrate hosts making PA14 an attractive strain for studying this pathogen. In 2006, a nonredundant transposon insertion mutant library containing 5,459 mutants corresponding to 4,596 predicted PA14 genes was generated. Since then, distribution of the PA14 library has allowed the research community to better understand the function of individual genes and complex pathways of P. aeruginosa. Maintenance of library integrity through the replication process requires proper handling and precise techniques. To that end, this manuscript presents protocols that describe in detail the steps involved in library replication, library quality control and proper storage of individual mutants.

Replication of the Ordered, Nonredundant Library of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain PA14 Transposon Insertion Mutants

Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection causes significant morbidity in vulnerable hosts. The nonredundant transposon insertion mutant library of P. aeruginosa strain PA14, designated as PA14NR Set, facilitates analysis of gene functionality in numerous processes. Presented here is a protocol to generate high-quality copies of the PA14NR Set mutant library.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a phenotypically and genotypically diverse and adaptable Gram-negative bacterium ubiquitous in human environments. P. aeruginosa ...

Methods for Detecting Cytotoxic Amyloids Following Infection of Pulmonary Endothelial Cells by Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Patients who survive pneumonia have elevated death rates in the months following hospital discharge. It has been hypothesized that infection of pulmonary tissue during pneumonia results in the production of long-lived cytotoxins that can lead to subsequent end organ failure. We have developed in vitro assays to test the hypothesis that cytotoxins are produced during pulmonary infection. Isolated rat pulmonary endothelial cells and the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa are used as model systems, and the production of cytoxins following infection of the endothelial cells by the bacteria is demonstrated using cell culture followed by direct quantitation using lactate dehydrogenase assays and a novel microscopic method utilizing ImageJ technology. The amyloid nature of these cytotoxins was demonstrated by thioflavin T binding assays and by immunoblotting and immunodepletion using A11 anti-amyloid antibody. Further analyses using immunoblotting demonstrated that oligomeric tau and A&#946; were produced and released by endothelial cells following infection by P. aeruginosa. These methods should be readily adaptable to analyses of human clinical samples.

Methods for Detecting Cytotoxic Amyloids Following Infection of Pulmonary Endothelial Cells by Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Simple methods are described for demonstrating the production of cytotoxic amyloids following infection of pulmonary endothelium by Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Patients who survive pneumonia have elevated death rates in the months following hospital discharge. It has been hypothesized that infection of pulmonary ...

Generation of In-Frame Gene Deletion Mutants in Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Testing for Virulence Attenuation in a Simple Mouse Model of Infection

Microorganisms are genetically versatile and diverse and have become a major source of many commercial products and biopharmaceuticals. Though some of these products are naturally produced by the organisms, other products require genetic engineering of the organism to increase the yields of production. Avirulent strains of Escherichia coli have traditionally been the preferred bacterial species for producing biopharmaceuticals; however, some products are difficult for E. coli to produce. Thus, avirulent strains of other bacterial species could provide useful alternatives for production of some commercial products. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a common and well-studied Gram-negative bacterium that could provide a suitable alternative to E. coli. However, P. aeruginosa is an opportunistic human pathogen. Here, we detail a procedure that can be used to generate nonpathogenic strains of P. aeruginosa through sequential genomic deletions using the pEX100T-NotI plasmid. The main advantage of this method is to produce a marker-free strain. This method may be used to generate highly attenuated P. aeruginosa strains for the production of commercial products, or to design strains for other specific uses. We also describe a simple and reproducible mouse model of bacterial systemic infection via intraperitoneal injection of validated test strains to test the attenuation of the genetically engineered strain in comparison to the FDA-approved BL21 strain of E. coli.

Generation of In-Frame Gene Deletion Mutants in Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Testing for Virulence Attenuation in a Simple Mouse Model of Infection

Here, we describe a simple and reproducible protocol of mouse model of infection to evaluate the attenuation of the genetically modified strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in comparison to the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved Escherichia coli for commercial applications.

Microorganisms are genetically versatile and diverse and have become a major source of many commercial products and biopharmaceuticals. Though some of ...