Temporal dynamics of gene expression in Campylobacter jejuni biofilm formation
Campylobacter jejuni, an important pathogen of bacterial gastrointestinal infections, forms biofilms that are crucial for its survival in different environments. We used RNA sequencing to investigate the changes in gene expression at different stages of biofilm formation (16 h, 24 h, 48 h and 72 h). The results showed that early biofilms (16 h and 24 h biofilms) show increased expression of genes involved in cysteine and methionine amino acid metabolism, while mature biofilms (48 h and 72 h biofilms) show decreased expression of capsular polysaccharides and lipooligosaccharides. Both early and mature biofilms are characterized by increased expression of genes involved in flagella formation, leucine amino acid metabolism and oxidative stress response, and decreased expression of genes involved in energy metabolism, iron acquisition and transmembrane transport. Thus, we provide a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms of C. jejuni biofilm maturation, environmental resistance and the dynamic nature of gene expression that facilitates adaptation to biofilm-associated lifestyles Overall design: Gene expression profilling analysis using data obtained from RNA-seq of C. jejuni biofilms cells taken at 16 h, 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h compared to 16 h planktonic cells. Four biological replicates are included for each condition.