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Microorganisms
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Bacterial Biofilm Microenvironments: Their Interactions and Functions
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Bacterial Biofilm Microenvironments: Their Interactions and Functions

A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607). This special issue belongs to the section "Biofilm".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 December 2023) | Viewed by 6915

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Brandon Peterson

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Guest Editor
Department of Biomedical Engineering, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9713 AV Groningen, The Netherlands
Interests: microbiology; biophysics; microscopy
Dr. Theerthankar Das

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Infection Immunity and Inflammation theme, Sydney Institute for Infectious Diseases, Charles Perkins Centre, School of Medical Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Interests: bacterial biofilm; quorum sensing in bacteria; antimicrobial drug development; host-pathogen interactions
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Kecheng Quan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
2. Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Groningen and University Medical Center Groningen, 9713 AV Groningen, The Netherlands
3. School of Materials Science and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
Interests: biofilm infection; magnetic antibacterial nanoparticles; antibacterial coating; magnetic drug delivery system

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Mature bacterial biofilms contain a diversity of microorganisms dynamically working together to survive their environment. This diversity creates small, diversified environments, known as microenvironments, that have many different functions. These microenvironments may differ in properties such as pH, oxygen, nutrients, viscoelastic strength, and/or microorganism composition, among others. Antimicrobial challenges to biofilms are hindered and even deactivated by these microenvironments, rendering them ineffective in treating the deeper parts of biofilm. Recent advancements in 3D bioprinting have allowed researchers to model these microenvironments, and advancements in nanotechnology have provided better drug delivery vessels to deliver antibiotics less affected by these microenvironments.

This Special Issue is focused on all aspects of bacterial biofilm microenvironments. This includes but is not limited to modeling via 3D bioprinting, microscopic analysis, nanotechnology, drug delivery systems, functionality, and influence on biofilm survival and/or maturity. In addition, this issue also deals with bacterial cell-to-cell signaling mechanisms and how they influence change in the microenvironment in the microbial community and in the development of biofilms, virulence factor production, pathogenicity, and antimicrobial resistance.

Dr. Brandon Peterson
Dr. Theerthankar Das
Dr. Kecheng Quan
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Microorganisms is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • biofilm
  • microenvironment
  • structure
  • quorum sensing
  • virulence factor
  • antimicrobial resistance
  • pathogenicity

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 2536 KiB  
Article
Relationship between Desiccation Tolerance and Biofilm Formation in Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli
by Muhammad Qasim Javed, Igor Kovalchuk, Dmytro Yevtushenko, Xianqin Yang and Kim Stanford
Microorganisms 2024, 12(2), 243; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms12020243 - 24 Jan 2024
Viewed by 939
Abstract
Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) is a major concern in the food industry and requires effective control measures to prevent foodborne illnesses. Previous studies have demonstrated increased difficulty in the control of biofilm-forming STEC. Desiccation, achieved through osmotic stress and water removal, has [...] Read more.
Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) is a major concern in the food industry and requires effective control measures to prevent foodborne illnesses. Previous studies have demonstrated increased difficulty in the control of biofilm-forming STEC. Desiccation, achieved through osmotic stress and water removal, has emerged as a potential antimicrobial hurdle. This study focused on 254 genetically diverse E. coli strains collected from cattle, carcass hides, hide-off carcasses, and processing equipment. Of these, 141 (55.51%) were STEC and 113 (44.48%) were generic E. coli. The biofilm-forming capabilities of these isolates were assessed, and their desiccation tolerance was investigated to understand the relationships between growth temperature, relative humidity (RH), and bacterial survival. Only 28% of the STEC isolates had the ability to form biofilms, compared to 60% of the generic E. coli. Stainless steel surfaces were exposed to different combinations of temperature (0 °C or 35 °C) and relative humidity (75% or 100%), and the bacterial attachment and survival rates were measured over 72 h and compared to controls. The results revealed that all the strains exposed to 75% relative humidity (RH) at any temperature had reduced growth (p < 0.001). In contrast, 35 °C and 100% RH supported bacterial proliferation, except for isolates forming the strongest biofilms. The ability of E. coli to form a biofilm did not impact growth reduction at 75% RH. Therefore, desiccation treatment at 75% RH at temperatures of 0 °C or 35 °C holds promise as a novel antimicrobial hurdle for the removal of biofilm-forming E. coli from challenging-to-clean surfaces and equipment within food processing facilities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bacterial Biofilm Microenvironments: Their Interactions and Functions)
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12 pages, 5641 KiB  
Article
The Role of Flagellum and Flagellum-Based Motility on Salmonella Enteritidis and Escherichia coli Biofilm Formation
by Diana Vilas Boas, Joana Castro, Daniela Araújo, Franklin L. Nóbrega, Charles W. Keevil, Nuno F. Azevedo, Maria João Vieira and Carina Almeida
Microorganisms 2024, 12(2), 232; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms12020232 - 23 Jan 2024
Viewed by 1550
Abstract
Flagellum-mediated motility has been suggested to contribute to virulence by allowing bacteria to colonize and spread to new surfaces. In Salmonella enterica and Escherichia coli species, mutants affected by their flagellar motility have shown a reduced ability to form biofilms. While it is [...] Read more.
Flagellum-mediated motility has been suggested to contribute to virulence by allowing bacteria to colonize and spread to new surfaces. In Salmonella enterica and Escherichia coli species, mutants affected by their flagellar motility have shown a reduced ability to form biofilms. While it is known that some species might act as co-aggregation factors for bacterial adhesion, studies of food-related biofilms have been limited to single-species biofilms and short biofilm formation periods. To assess the contribution of flagella and flagellum-based motility to adhesion and biofilm formation, two Salmonella and E. coli mutants with different flagellar phenotypes were produced: the fliC mutants, which do not produce flagella, and the motAB mutants, which are non-motile. The ability of wild-type and mutant strains to form biofilms was compared, and their relative fitness was determined in two-species biofilms with other foodborne pathogens. Our results showed a defective and significant behavior of E. coli in initial surface colonization (p < 0.05), which delayed single-species biofilm formation. Salmonella mutants were not affected by the ability to form biofilm (p > 0.05). Regarding the effect of motility/flagellum absence on bacterial fitness, none of the mutant strains seems to have their relative fitness affected in the presence of a competing species. Although the absence of motility may eventually delay initial colonization, this study suggests that motility is not essential for biofilm formation and does not have a strong impact on bacteria’s fitness when a competing species is present. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bacterial Biofilm Microenvironments: Their Interactions and Functions)
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14 pages, 2183 KiB  
Article
Impacts of a DUF2207 Family Protein on Streptococcus mutans Stress Tolerance Responses and Biofilm Formation
by Xiaochang Huang, Camile G. Laird, Paul P. Riley and Zezhang Tom Wen
Microorganisms 2023, 11(8), 1982; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11081982 - 1 Aug 2023
Viewed by 983
Abstract
Locus SMU.243 in Streptococcus mutans was annotated as a member of the DUF2207 family proteins highly conserved in all bacteria but with unknown function. To investigate its role in S. mutans physiology, a SMU.243-deficient mutant was constructed using allelic exchange mutagenesis, and the [...] Read more.
Locus SMU.243 in Streptococcus mutans was annotated as a member of the DUF2207 family proteins highly conserved in all bacteria but with unknown function. To investigate its role in S. mutans physiology, a SMU.243-deficient mutant was constructed using allelic exchange mutagenesis, and the impacts of SMU.243 deletion on bacterial growth, stress tolerance response, and biofilm formation were analyzed. Compared to the wild-type UA159, S. mutans lacking SMU.243 displayed a reduced growth rate and a reduced overnight culture density (p < 0.01) when grown at low pH and in the presence of methyl viologen. Relative to the parent strain, the deficient mutant also had a reduced survival rate following incubation in a buffer of pH 2.8 (p < 0.01) and in a buffer containing hydrogen peroxide at 58 mM after 60 min (p < 0.001) and had a reduced capacity in biofilm formation especially in the presence of sucrose (p < 0.01). To study any ensuing functional/phenotypical links between SMU.243 and uppP, which is located immediately downstream of SMU.243 and encodes an undecaprenyl pyrophosphate phosphatase involved in recycling of carrier lipid undecaprenyl phosphate, a uppP deficient mutant was generated using allelic exchange mutagenesis. Unlike the SMU.243 mutant, deletion of uppP affected cell envelope biogenesis and caused major increases in susceptibility to bacitracin. In addition, two variant morphological mutants, one forming rough colonies and the other forming mucoid, smooth colonies, also emerged following the deletion of uppP. The results suggest that the SMU.243-encoded protein of the DUF2207 family in S. mutans plays an important role in stress tolerance response and biofilm formation, but unlike the downstream uppP, does not seem to be involved in cell envelope biogenesis, although the exact roles in S. mutans’ physiology awaits further investigation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bacterial Biofilm Microenvironments: Their Interactions and Functions)
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16 pages, 2059 KiB  
Article
Comparative Genomic Analysis of Biofilm-Forming Polar Microbacterium sp. Strains PAMC22086 and PAMC21962 Isolated from Extreme Habitats
by Byeollee Kim, Saru Gurung, So-Ra Han, Jun-Hyuck Lee and Tae-Jin Oh
Microorganisms 2023, 11(7), 1757; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11071757 - 5 Jul 2023
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Abstract
The members of Microbacterium isolated from different environments are known to form peptidoglycan. In this study, we compared the biofilm-forming abilities of Microbacterium sp. PAMC22086 (PAMC22086), which was isolated from the soil in the South Shetland Islands and Microbacterium sp. PAMC21962 (PAMC21962), which [...] Read more.
The members of Microbacterium isolated from different environments are known to form peptidoglycan. In this study, we compared the biofilm-forming abilities of Microbacterium sp. PAMC22086 (PAMC22086), which was isolated from the soil in the South Shetland Islands and Microbacterium sp. PAMC21962 (PAMC21962), which was isolated from algae in the South Shetland Islands. The analysis of average nucleotide identity and phylogeny of PAMC22086 revealed a 97% similarity to Microbacterium oxydans VIU2A, while PAMC21962 showed a 99.1% similarity to Microbacterium hominis SGAir0570. For the comparative genomic analysis of PAMC22086 and PAMC21962, the genes related to biofilm formation were identified using EggNOG and KEGG pathway databases. The genes possessed by both PAMC22086 and PAMC21962 are cpdA, phnB, rhlC, and glgC, which regulate virulence, biofilm formation, and multicellular structure. Among the genes indirectly involved in biofilm formation, unlike PAMC21962, PAMC22086 possessed csrA, glgC, and glgB, which are responsible for attachment and glycogen biosynthesis. Additionally, in PAMC22086, additional functional genes rsmA, which is involved in mobility and polysaccharide production, and dksA, GTPase, and oxyR, which play roles in cell cycle and stress response, were identified. In addition, the biofilm-forming ability of the two isolates was examined in vivo using the standard crystal violet staining technique, and morphological differences in the biofilm were investigated. It is evident from the different distribution of biofilm-associated genes between the two strains that the bacteria can survive in different niches by employing distinct strategies. Both strains exhibit distinct morphologies. PAMC22086 forms a biofilm that attaches to the side, while PAMC21962 indicates growth starting from the center. The biofilm formation-related genes in Microbacterium are not well understood. However, it has been observed that Microbacterium species form biofilm regardless of the number of genes they possess. Through comparison between different Microbacterium species, it was revealed that specific core genes are involved in cell adhesion, which plays a crucial role in biofilm formation. This study provides a comprehensive profile of the Microbacterium genus’s genomic features and a preliminary understanding of biofilm in this genus, laying the foundation for further research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bacterial Biofilm Microenvironments: Their Interactions and Functions)
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