Multiple Dictyostelid Species Destroy Biofilms of Klebsiella oxytoca and Other Gram Negative Species

Dictyostelids are free-living phagocytes that feed on bacteria in diverse habitats. When bacterial prey is in short supply or depleted, they undergo multicellular development culminating in the formation of dormant spores. In this work, we tested isolates representing four dictyostelid species from two genera (Dictyostelium and Polysphondylium) for the potential to feed on biofilms preformed on glass and polycarbonate surfaces. The abilities of dictyostelids were monitored for three hallmarks of activity: 1) spore germination on biofilms, 2) predation on biofilm enmeshed bacteria by phagocytic cells and 3) characteristic stages of multicellular development (streaming and fructification). We found that all dictyostelid isolates tested could feed on biofilm enmeshed bacteria produced by human and plant pathogens: Klebsiella oxytoca, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Pseudomonas syringae, Erwinia amylovora 1189 (biofilm former) and E. amylovora 1189 Δams (biofilm deficient mutant). However, when dictyostelids were fed planktonic E. amylovora Δams the bacterial cells exhibited an increased susceptibility to predation by one of the two dictyostelid strains they were tested against. Taken together, the qualitative and quantitative data presented here suggest that dictyostelids have preferences in bacterial prey which affects their efficiency of feeding on bacterial biofilms.