Biofilms.
The ability to form biofilms is a universal attribute of bacteria. Biofilms are multicellular communities held together by a self-produced extracellular matrix. The mechanisms that different bacteria employ to form biofilms vary, frequently depending on environmental conditions and specific strain attributes. In this review, we emphasize four well-studied model systems to give an overview of how several organisms form biofilms: Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus subtilis, and Staphylococcus aureus. Using these bacteria as examples, we discuss the key features of biofilms as well as mechanisms by which extracellular signals trigger biofilm formation.
Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
Daniel
D
López
Hera
H
Vlamakis
Roberto
R
Kolter
D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000502:physiology; D018441:Biofilms; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000502:physiology; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000502:physiology; D053038:Quorum Sensing; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000502:physiology