Discrimination of Four Marine Biofilm-Forming Bacteria by LC–MS Metabolomics and Influence of Culture Parameters

Most marine bacteria can form biofilms, and they are the main components of biofilms observed on marine surfaces. Biofilms constitute a widespread life strategy, as growing in such structures offers many important biological benefits. The molecular compounds expressed in biofilms and, more generally, the metabolomes of marine bacteria remain poorly studied. In this context, a nontargeted LC–MS metabolomics approach of marine biofilm-forming bacterial strains was developed. Four marine bacteria, <i>Persicivirga</i> (Nonlabens) <i>mediterranea</i> TC4 and TC7, <i>Pseudoalteromonas lipolytica</i> TC8, and <i>Shewanella</i> sp. TC11, were used as model organisms. The main objective was to search for some strain-specific bacterial metabolites and to determine how culture parameters (culture medium, growth phase, and mode of culture) may affect the cellular metabolism of each strain and thus the global interstrain metabolic discrimination. LC–MS profiling and statistical partial least-squares discriminant analyses showed that the four strains could be differentiated at the species level whatever the medium, the growth phase, or the mode of culture (planktonic vs biofilm). A MS/MS molecular network was subsequently built and allowed the identification of putative bacterial biomarkers. TC8 was discriminated by a series of ornithine lipids, while the <i>P. mediterranea</i> strains produced hydroxylated ornithine and glycine lipids. Among the <i>P. mediterranea</i> strains, TC7 extracts were distinguished by the occurrence of diamine derivatives, such as putrescine amides.