title: Gram-negative bacteria can also form pellicles.
abstract: There is a growing interest in the bacterial pellicle, a biofilm floating at the air-liquid interface. Pellicles have been well studied in the Gram-positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis, but far less in Gram-negative bacteria, where pellicle studies have mostly focused on matrix components rather than on the regulatory cascades involved. Several Gram-negative bacteria, including pathogenic bacteria, have been shown to be able to form a pellicle under static conditions. Here, we summarize the growing body of knowledge about pellicle formation in Gram-negative bacteria, especially about the components of the pellicle matrix. We also propose that the pellicle is a specific biofilm, and that its formation involves particular processes. Since this lifestyle concerns a growing number of bacteria, its properties undoubtedly deserve further investigation.
authors.forename: Joshua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Armitano
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Méjean
authors.forename: Cécile
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jourlin-Castelli
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018441:Biofilms; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial