Iron and Biofilm Formation

Our recent work has demonstrated that the PrrF sRNAs are required for biofilm formation by P. aeruginosa at body temperature, but not at environmental temperatures. This temperature dependency appears to occur through PrrF’s promotion of AQ production, as a mutant lacking AQ production phenocopies the ∆prrF mutant. Current studies are aimed at understanding how temperature affects iron-regulated gene expression and iron acquisition pathways in P. aeruginosa, as well as determining how temperature affects biofilm formation, virulence, and transmission. Image from Chourashi, et al, J Bacteriol 2026.