Detection and Quantification of Mono-Rhamnolipids and Di-Rhamnolipids Produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Summary

Pseudomonas aeruginosa produces the rhamnolipid biosurfactants. Thin-layer chromatography detects and determines the proportion of mono- and di-rhamnolipids produced by each strain. Quantification of total rhamnolipids involves assessing rhamnose equivalents present in these biosurfactants extracted from the culture supernatants using the orcinol method.

Abstract

The environmental bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen with high antibiotic resistance that represents a health hazard. This bacterium produces high levels of biosurfactants known as rhamnolipids (RL), which are molecules with significant biotechnological value but are also associated with virulence traits. In this respect, the detection and quantification of RL may be useful for both biotechnology applications and biomedical research projects. In this article, we demonstrate step-by-step the technique to detect the production of the two forms of RL produced by P. aeruginosa using thin-layer chromatography (TLC): mono-rhamnolipids (mRL), molecules constituted by a dimer of fatty acids (mainly C10-C10) linked to one rhamnose moiety, and di-rhamnolipids (dRL), molecules constituted by a similar fatty acid dimer linked to two rhamnose moieties. Additionally, we present a method to measure the total amount of RL based on the acid hydrolysis of these biosurfactants extracted from a P. aeruginosa culture supernatant and the subsequent detection of the concentration of rhamnose that reacts with orcinol. The combination of both techniques can be used to estimate the approximate concentration of mRL and dRL produced by a specific strain, as exemplified here with the type strains PAO1 (phylogroup 1), PA14 (phylogroup 2), and PA7 (phylogroup 3).

Introduction

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an environmental bacterium and an opportunistic pathogen of great concern due to its production of virulence-associated traits and its high antibiotic resistance^1,2. A characteristic secondary metabolite produced by this bacterium is the biosurfactant RL, which is produced in a coordinated manner with several virulence-associated traits such as the phenazine pyocyanin, an antibiotic with redox activity, and the protease elastase³. The tensio-active and emulsification properties of RL have been exploited in different industrial app....

Protocol

This procedure is schematized in Supplementary Figure 1. The reagents and equipment used for the study are listed in the Table of Materials.

1. Detection of mRL and dRL in culture supernatants of P. aeruginosa using TLC

1. Start with the centrifuged broth of the P. aeruginosa strain of interest, cultivated in liquid medium for 24 h (to reach the stationary phase of growth where RL is.......

Discussion

The most accurate method for detecting and quantifying RL is HPLC coupled with mass spectrometry (MS)^7,8,27; however, it requires specialized and expensive equipment that may not be accessible to many researchers. The methods described here can be routinely performed with basic laboratory materials and equipment to detect and estimate RL concentrations, but they have some limitations, particularly their inaccuracy in determining.......

Materials

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
1-NAPHTHOL	SIGMA-ALDRICH	70442
ACETIC ACID	J.T. BAKER	9508-02
CENTRIFUGE			For centrifuging tubes 1.5 mL and  50 mL
CHLOROFORM	J.T. BAKER	9180-02
DRYING OVEN
ETHER	J.T. BAKER	9244-02
GLASS PIPETTE	SIGMA-ALDRICH	CLS706510
HYDROCHLORIC ACID	J.T. BAKER	5622-02
LB
L-RHAMNOSE MONOHYDRATE	SIGMA-ALDRICH	R-3875
METHANOL	J.T. BAKER	9049-02
ORCINOL MONOHYDRATE	SIGMA-ALDRICH	O1875
PPGAS Broth			Tris HCL (0.12M), Potassium Chloride ( 0.02M) Ammonium Chloride (0.02M),  Peptone (1%), pH 7.4   Autoclaved. Add  Glucose (5%) and Magnesium Sulfate (0.0016M)
QUARTZ CELL (CUVETTE)	SIGMA-ALDRICH	Z276669
RECTANGULAR TLC DEVELOPING TANK	FISHER SCIENTIFIC	K4161801020
RHAMNOLIPIDS	SIGMA-ALDRICH	R-90
SPECTROPHOTOMETER			VIS
SPRAYER	SIGMA-ALDRICH	Z529710-1EA
SULFURIC ACID	J.T. BAKER	9681-02
TES TUBES 5mL	CORNING	352002
TLC SILICA GEL 60 F254	MERCK	1.05554.0001
WATER BATH			> 80 °C