title: Genetic control of bacterial biofilms.
abstract: Nearly all bacterial species, including pathogens, have the ability to form biofilms. Biofilms are defined as structured ecosystems in which microbes are attached to surfaces and embedded in a matrix composed of polysaccharides, eDNA, and proteins, and their development is a multistep process. Bacterial biofilms constitute a large medical problem due to their extremely high resistance to various types of therapeutics, including conventional antibiotics. Several environmental and genetic signals control every step of biofilm development and dispersal. From among the latter, quorum sensing, cyclic diguanosine-5'-monophosphate, and small RNAs are considered as the main regulators. The present review describes the control role of these three regulators in the life cycles of biofilms built by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, and Vibrio cholerae. The interconnections between their activities are shown. Compounds and strategies which target the activity of these regulators, mainly quorum sensing inhibitors, and their potential role in therapy are also assessed.
authors: Department of Bacterial Genetics, Institute of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, 1 Miecznikowa Street, 02-096, Warsaw, Poland.
authors: Krystyna I
authors: KI
authors: Wolska
authors: Department of Bacterial Genetics, Institute of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, 1 Miecznikowa Street, 02-096, Warsaw, Poland.
authors: Anna M
authors: AM
authors: Grudniak
authors: Department of Bacterial Genetics, Institute of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, 1 Miecznikowa Street, 02-096, Warsaw, Poland.
authors: Zofia
authors: Z
authors: Rudnicka
authors: Department of Bacterial Genetics, Institute of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, 1 Miecznikowa Street, 02-096, Warsaw, Poland. kgrzes@biol.uw.edu.pl.
authors: Katarzyna
authors: K
authors: Markowska
mesh_terms: D018441:Biofilms / Q000254:growth & development*; D006152:Cyclic GMP / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000235:genetics; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D053038:Quorum Sensing / Q000235:genetics*; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D058727:RNA, Small Untranslated / Q000235:genetics*; D012486:Salmonella typhimurium / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D014734:Vibrio cholerae / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development
chemical_list: D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D058727:RNA, Small Untranslated; C062025:bis(3',5')-cyclic diguanylic acid; D006152:Cyclic GMP
keywords: Biofilm; Cyclic diguanosine-5’-monophosphate; Quorum sensing; Small RNAs