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Biofilm destruction caused by the E. coli phage Rac and the P. aeruginosa prophage Pf4 causes detachment of cells from the biofilm. [171] Detachment is a biofilm phenomenon which requires more study, but is hypothesized to proliferate the bacterial species that comprise the biofilm.
The increased cell length can protect bacteria from protozoan predation and neutrophil phagocytosis by making ingestion of cells more difficult. [1] [3] [4] [5] Filamentation is also thought to protect bacteria from antibiotics, and is associated with other aspects of bacterial virulence such as biofilm formation. [6] [7]
Biofilms in marine environments Various biofilm components (including bacteria, algae, and fungi) are embedded in a matrix of extracellular polymeric substances. An intertidal bioflim is a biofilm that forms on the intertidal region of bodies of water.
Other than chemicals, enzymes have been used to degrade the biofilm matrix and eject biofilm cells forcibly. First shown in P. aeruginosa, a glycosyl hydrolase PslG can trigger biofilm disassembly by disrupting exopolysaccharide matrix in biofilms effectively and can be used in combination with antibiotics to kill the cells released from biofilms.
Quorum sensing (QS) is used by bacteria to form biofilms. Quorum sensing is used by bacteria to form biofilms because the process determines if the minimum number of bacteria necessary for biofilm formation are present. The criteria to form a biofilm is dependent on a certain density of bacteria rather than a certain number of bacteria being ...
EPSs are the construction material of bacterial settlements and either remain attached to the cell's outer surface, or are secreted into its growth medium. These compounds are important in biofilm formation and cells' attachment to surfaces. EPSs constitute 50% to 90% of a biofilm's total organic matter. [2] [4] [5]
Lysogenic conversion has shown to enable biofilm formation in Bacillus anthracis. [16] Strains of B. anthracis cured of all phage were unable to form biofilms, which are surface-adhered bacterial communities that enable bacteria to better access nutrients and survive environmental stresses. [17]
The formation of biofilms is a complex process and is dependent upon the availability of light as well as the relationships between the microorganisms. Biofilms serve a variety of roles in aquatic, terrestrial, and extreme environments; these roles include functions which are both beneficial and detrimental to the environment.