title: Molecular mechanisms of antimicrobial tolerance and resistance in bacterial and fungal biofilms.
abstract: The formation of microbial biofilms is an important reason for failure of antimicrobial therapy. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the survival of biofilm cells are still not completely understood. In this review we discuss three mechanisms that play an important role in biofilm survival: (i) biofilm-specific protection against oxidative stress; (ii) biofilm-specific expression of efflux pumps; and (iii) protection provided by matrix polysaccharides. We demonstrate that these mechanisms are found both in bacterial and fungal biofilms and are often surprisingly similar between distantly related organisms. In addition, we give an overview of the data that suggests that these mechanisms may not be independent.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Heleen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Van Acker
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Microbiology, Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie (VIB), Leuven, Belgium; Laboratory of Molecular Cell Biology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Van Dijck
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium. Electronic address: Tom.Coenye@Ugent.be.
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Coenye
mesh_terms: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects; D018407:Bacterial Physiological Phenomena; D018441:Biofilms / Q000187:drug effects*; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D025141:Drug Resistance, Fungal; D005658:Fungi / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008954:Models, Biological; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species
keywords: antibiotics; biofilm; biofilm matrix; efflux; persisters; resistance