Pyruvate dehydrogenase subunit β of Lactobacillus plantarum is a collagen adhesin involved in biofilm formation

Multi-functional surface proteins have been observed in a variety of pathogenic bacteria, where they mediate host cell adhesion and invasion, as well as in commensal bacterial species, were they mediate positive interaction with the host. Among these proteins, some glycolytic enzymes, expressed on the bacterial cell surface, can bind human extracellular matrix components (ECM). A major target for them is collagen, an abundant glycoprotein of connective tissues. We have previously shown that the enolase EnoA1 of Lactobacillus plantarum, one of the most predominant species in the gut microbiota of healthy individuals, is involved in binding with collagen type I (CnI). In this study, we found that PDHB, a component of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex, contributes to the L. plantarum LM3 adhesion to CnI. By a cellular adhesion assay to immobilized CnI, we show that LM3-B1 cells, carrying a null mutation in the pdhB gene, bind to CnI - coated surfaces less efficiently than wild-type cells. Moreover, we show that the PDHB-CnI interaction requires a native state for PDHB. We also analyzed the ability to develop biofilm in wild-type and mutant strains and we found that the lack of the PDHB on cell surface generates cells partially impaired in biofilm development.