Institute for Biological Physics and Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University of Cologne, 50674 Cologne, Germany; email:
Annu Rev Biophys. 2021 May 6;50:401-417. doi: 10.1146/annurev-biophys-062920-063646. Epub 2021 Feb 26.
Biofilms are structured communities formed by a single or multiple microbial species. Within biofilms, bacteria are embedded into extracellular matrix, allowing them to build macroscopic objects. Biofilm structure can respond to environmental changes such as the presence of antibiotics or predators. By adjusting expression levels of surface and extracellular matrix components, bacteria tune cell-to-cell interactions. One major challenge in the field is the fact that these components are very diverse among different species. Deciphering how physical interactions within biofilms are affected by changes in gene expression is a promising approach to obtaining a more unified picture of how bacteria modulate biofilms. This review focuses on recent advances in characterizing attractive and repulsive forces between bacteria in correlation with biofilm structure, dynamics, and spreading. How bacteria control physical interactions to maximize their fitness is an emerging theme.
生物膜是由单一或多种微生物物种形成的结构化群落。在生物膜内，细菌被嵌入细胞外基质中，从而使它们能够构建宏观物体。生物膜结构可以响应环境变化，如抗生素或捕食者的存在。通过调整表面和细胞外基质成分的表达水平，细菌可以调节细胞间的相互作用。该领域的一个主要挑战是不同物种之间这些成分的多样性。解析生物膜内的物理相互作用如何受到基因表达变化的影响，是获得更统一的细菌如何调节生物膜的图景的一种有前途的方法。这篇综述重点介绍了最近在描述与生物膜结构、动力学和扩散相关的细菌之间的吸引力和排斥力方面的进展。细菌如何控制物理相互作用以最大限度地提高适应性是一个新兴的主题。
