Ren, Y;
Wang, C;
Chen, Z;
Allan, E;
Van der Mei, HC;
Busscher, HJ;
(2018)
Emergent heterogeneous microenvironments in biofilms: substratum surface heterogeneity and bacterial adhesion force-sensing.
FEMS Microbiology Reviews
, 42
(3)
pp. 259-272.
10.1093/femsre/fuy001.
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Abstract
Phenotypically-heterogeneous micro-environments emerge as biofilms mature across different environments. Phenotypic-heterogeneity in biofilm sub-populations not obeying quorum sensing-dictated, collective group-behavior, may be considered as a strategy allowing non-conformists to survive hostile conditions. Heterogeneous phenotype development has been amply studied with respect to gene expression and genotypic changes, but 'biofilm genes' responsible for pre-programmed development of heterogeneous micro-environments in biofilms have never been discovered. Moreover, the question of what triggers the development of phenotypically-heterogeneous micro-environments has never been addressed. The definition of biofilms as 'surface-adhering and surface-adapted' microbial communities contains the word 'surface' twice. This leads us to hypothesize that phenotypically-heterogeneous micro-environments in biofilms develop as an adaptive response of initial colonizers to their adhering state, governed by the forces through which they adhere to a substratum surface. No surface is entirely homogeneous, while adhering bacteria can substantially contribute to stochastically occurring surface heterogeneity. Accordingly, bacterial adhesion forces sensed by initial colonizers differ across a substratum surface, leading to differential mechanical deformation of the cell wall and membrane, where many environmental sensors are located. Bacteria directly adhering to heterogeneous substratum domains therewith formulate their own local responses to their adhering state and command non-conformist behavior, leading to phenotypically-heterogeneous micro-environments in biofilms.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Emergent heterogeneous microenvironments in biofilms: substratum surface heterogeneity and bacterial adhesion force-sensing |
| Location: | England |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1093/femsre/fuy001 |
| Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.1093/femsre/fuy001 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions. |
| Keywords: | quorum sensing, environmental sensing, swarming, antibiotic resistance, cooperativity, biosurfactants |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Medical Sciences > Eastman Dental Institute UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Medical Sciences > Eastman Dental Institute > Microbial Diseases |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10042326 |
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