title: Bakers' yeast, a model for fungal biofilm formation.
abstract: Biofilms are formed by the aggregation of microorganisms into multicellular structures that adhere to surfaces. Here we show that bakers' yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae can initiate biofilm formation. When grown in low-glucose medium, the yeast cells adhered avidly to a number of plastic surfaces. On semi-solid (0.3% agar) medium they formed "mats": complex multicellular structures composed of yeast-form cells. Both attachment to plastic and mat formation require Flo11p, a member of a large family of fungal cell surface glycoproteins involved in adherence. The ability to study biofilm formation in a tractable genetic system may facilitate the identification of new targets for antifungal therapy.
authors.affiliation: Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Nine Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
authors.forename: T B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Reynolds
authors.forename: G R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Fink
mesh_terms: D000362:Agar; D018441:Biofilms / Q000254:growth & development*; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D003470:Culture Media; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D005800:Genes, Fungal; D005947:Glucose; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000502:physiology; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D000072235:Mating Factor; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D010455:Peptides / Q000502:physiology; D010675:Pheromones; D010969:Plastics; D011003:Ploidies; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; C110690:FLO11 protein, S cerevisiae; C100940:FLO8 protein, S cerevisaie; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D008074:Lipoproteins; C095063:MFA2 protein, S cerevisiae; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D010455:Peptides; D010675:Pheromones; D010969:Plastics; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D000072235:Mating Factor; D000362:Agar; D005947:Glucose