Department of Bacteriology, The Jikei University School of Medicine, 3-25-8 Nishi-Shimbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 105-8461, Japan.
Jikei Center for Biofilm Science and Technology, The Jikei University School of Medicine, 3-25-8 Nishi-Shimbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 105-8461, Japan.
NPJ Biofilms Microbiomes. 2022 Apr 4;8(1):17. doi: 10.1038/s41522-022-00278-z.
Biofilms are surface-bound microbial communities that are typically embedded in a matrix of self-produced extracellular polymeric substances and can cause chronic infections. Extracellular DNA is known to play a crucial role in biofilm development in diverse bacteria; however, the existence and function of RNA are poorly understood. Here, we show that RNA contributes to the structural integrity of biofilms formed by the human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus. RNase A dispersed both fresh and mature biofilms, indicating the importance of RNA at various stages. RNA-sequencing analysis demonstrated that the primary source of RNA in the biofilm matrix was the Brain Heart Infusion medium (>99.32%). RNA purified from the medium promoted biofilm formation. Microscopic and molecular interaction analyses demonstrated that polysaccharides were critical for capturing and stabilizing external RNA in biofilms, which contributes to biofilm organization. These findings provide a basis for exploring the role of externally derived substances in bacterial biofilm organization.
生物膜是附着在表面的微生物群落，通常嵌入在由自身产生的胞外聚合物基质中，会导致慢性感染。已知胞外 DNA 在多种细菌的生物膜发育中起着至关重要的作用；然而，RNA 的存在和功能却知之甚少。在这里，我们表明 RNA 有助于人类病原体金黄色葡萄球菌形成的生物膜的结构完整性。核糖核酸酶 A 分散了新鲜和成熟的生物膜，表明 RNA 在各个阶段的重要性。RNA 测序分析表明，生物膜基质中 RNA 的主要来源是脑心浸液培养基（>99.32%）。从中提取的 RNA 促进生物膜形成。显微镜和分子相互作用分析表明，多糖对于捕获和稳定生物膜中的外部 RNA 至关重要，这有助于生物膜的组织。这些发现为探索外源性物质在细菌生物膜组织中的作用提供了基础。
