Living in the matrix: assembly and control of Vibrio cholerae biofilms

Abstract

Preface Nearly all bacteria form biofilms as a strategy for survival and persistence. Biofilms are associated with biotic and abiotic surfaces and are composed of aggregates of cells that are encased by a self-produced or acquired extracellular matrix. Vibrio cholerae has been studied as a model organism for understanding biofilm formation in environmental pathogens, as it spends much of its life cycle outside of the human host in the aquatic environment. Given the important role of biofilm formation in the V. cholerae life cycle, the molecular mechanisms underlying this process and the signals that trigger biofilm assembly or dispersal have been areas of intense investigation over the past 20 years. In this Review, we discuss V. cholerae surface attachment, various matrix components and the regulatory networks controlling biofilm formation.

Engineering Microbial Physiology with Synthetic Polymers: Cationic Polymers Induce Biofilm Formation inVibrio choleraeand Downregulate the Expression of Virulence Genes

“…3C). eDNA is another common component of V. cholerae biofilms, 22 and in our case, patches of diffuse staining could be seen around the polymer-induced clusters.…”

“…Overall, the ability to switch between motile and biofilm lifestyles, along with the carefully controlled induction of virulence factors, is central to the establishment of disease and the emergence of cholera epidemics. 21,22 Cholera is a particular concern in environments where there is poor sanitation and thus, access to clean water is not available. Therefore, efforts have been made to develop prophylactic approaches to the treatment of cholera, including the development of vaccines, 23 or filtration devices to clean water.…”

“…We therefore investigated whether polymer-induced clustering would also affect in vitro biofilm formation. V. cholerae biofilms are mainly composed of Vibrio exopolysaccharide (VPS) 22,34 which can be stained using crystal violet, 35,36 a chromogenic probe that interacts with negatively charged biopolymers. UV-Vis analysis of these polymerinduced clusters revealed an increased retention of the dye in the presence of P1, suggesting higher levels of extracellular exopolysaccharides (Fig.…”

Architectural transitions in Vibrio cholerae biofilms at single-cell resolution

“…biofilm | community | self-organization | emergent order | nematic order B acteria assemble into communities, termed biofilms, which are embedded in a secreted polymer matrix and often coat liquid-air or liquid-solid interfaces (1)(2)(3)(4). Some biofilms are beneficial to human health, for example as part of the healthy gut and skin microbiota (5,6) or in wastewater treatment systems (7).…”

“…In all contexts, biofilms can be difficult to control due to their resilience against chemical and physical stresses (12,13), including antibiotic treatment (14). Because of their ubiquity and their relevance to medicine and industry, the formation of biofilms has been studied intensively, with an emphasis on the genes, regulatory mechanisms, and transport properties that underlie transitions from planktonic growth to surface attachment (15)(16)(17), to proliferation and matrix secretion (2,18), and finally to dispersal (19,20). A basic understanding of several regulatory circuits and secreted matrix components governing biofilm formation has been developed (21)(22)(23)(24)(25).…”