FIGURE 3.

Five transposon insertions in the predicted nitrate metabolism pathway do not respond to inhibition of pellicle biofilm formation mediated by the addition of sodium nitrate. Wild-type B. pseudomallei 1026b forms a distinct pellicle biofilm when grown statically in liquid culture; however, it is unable to form a pellicle biofilm in the presence of 10 mM NaNO₃. Transposon insertion mutants in the following genes {Bp1026b_I1013::T24 (narL), Bp1026b_I1014::T24 (narX), Bp1026b_I1017::T24 (narH-1), Bp1026b_I1018::T24 (narG-1), and Bp1026b_I1020::T24 (nark-1)} were identified that form pellicle biofilms growing statically in LB + 10 mM NaNO₃. Pellicles were grown in 2 mL media at room temperature and photographed at 14 days.