title: Mechanisms of biofilm resistance to antimicrobial agents.
abstract: Biofilms are communities of microorganisms attached to a surface. It has become clear that biofilm-grown cells express properties distinct from planktonic cells, one of which is an increased resistance to antimicrobial agents. Recent work has indicated that slow growth and/or induction of an rpoS-mediated stress response could contribute to biocide resistance. The physical and/or chemical structure of exopolysaccharides or other aspects of biofilm architecture could also confer resistance by exclusion of biocides from the bacterial community. Finally, biofilm-grown bacteria might develop a biofilm-specific biocide-resistant phenotype. Owing to the heterogeneous nature of the biofilm, it is likely that there are multiple resistance mechanisms at work within a single community. Recent research has begun to shed light on how and why surface-attached microbial communities develop resistance to antimicrobial agents.
authors.affiliation: Dept of Microbiology and Immunology, Dartmouth Medical School, Hanover, NH 03755, USA.
authors.forename: T F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Mah
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: O'Toole
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D018441:Biofilms / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D018432:Drug Resistance, Multiple; D007711:Klebsiella pneumoniae / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D010641:Phenotype; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D012808:Sigma Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D013212:Staphylococcus epidermidis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial; D012808:Sigma Factor; C069567:sigma factor KatF protein, Bacteria; C064841:exopolysaccharide, Pseudomonas