Department of Mechanical Engineering and Munich School of Bioengineering, Technische Universität München, Garching, Germany.
Biomater Sci. 2017 May 2;5(5):887-900. doi: 10.1039/c6bm00832a.
Bacterial communities form biofilms on a wide range of surfaces by synthesizing a cohesive and protective extracellular matrix. The morphology, internal structure and mechanical stability of a biofilm are largely determined by its constituent polymers. In addition to mediating adhesion to surfaces, biofilms control the uptake of molecules and regulate the permeability of the matrix to gases and chemicals. Since biofilms can cause significant problems in both industrial and healthcare settings, there is great interest in developing strategies that either inhibit their formation or facilitate their elimination. However, although important in this context, the material properties of bacterial biofilms are poorly understood. In particular, little is known about how the different components of a biofilm matrix contribute to its various physical characteristics, or how these are modified in response to environmental cues. In this review, we present an overview of the molecular composition of different bacterial biofilms and describe techniques for the characterization of their viscoelastic properties. Finally, we summarize our current understanding of how the mechanical properties of bacterial biofilms are altered by different environmental challenges, and we discuss initial insights into the relationship between these responses and the composition of the matrix.
细菌群落通过合成粘性和保护性的细胞外基质，在广泛的表面上形成生物膜。生物膜的形态、内部结构和机械稳定性在很大程度上取决于其组成聚合物。除了介导与表面的黏附外，生物膜还控制着分子的摄取，并调节基质对气体和化学物质的渗透性。由于生物膜在工业和医疗保健环境中会引起严重的问题，因此人们非常有兴趣开发既能抑制其形成又能促进其消除的策略。然而，尽管这在相关背景下很重要，但细菌生物膜的材料特性仍未得到充分理解。特别是，对于生物膜基质的不同成分如何有助于其各种物理特性，或者这些特性如何响应环境线索而发生改变，人们知之甚少。在这篇综述中，我们概述了不同细菌生物膜的分子组成，并描述了用于表征其黏弹性特性的技术。最后，我们总结了我们目前对不同环境挑战如何改变细菌生物膜的机械性能的理解，并讨论了这些反应与基质组成之间关系的初步见解。
