Biofilm dispersion and quorum sensing

Biofilm development and quorum sensing are closely interconnected processes. Biofilm formation is a cooperative group behaviour that involves bacterial populations living embedded in a self produced extracellular matrix. Quorum sensing (QS) is a cell-cell communication mechanism that synchronizes ge...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Solano Goñi, Cristina, Echeverz Sarasúa, Maite, Lasa Uzcudun, Íñigo
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión aceptada para publicación
Fecha de publicación:2014
País:España
Institución:Universidad Pública de Navarra
Repositorio:Academica-e. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad Pública de Navarra
OAI Identifier:oai:academica-e.unavarra.es:2454/22612
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/2454/22612
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Biofilm dispersion
Quorum sensing
Descripción
Sumario:Biofilm development and quorum sensing are closely interconnected processes. Biofilm formation is a cooperative group behaviour that involves bacterial populations living embedded in a self produced extracellular matrix. Quorum sensing (QS) is a cell-cell communication mechanism that synchronizes gene expression in response to population cell density. Intuitively, it would appear that QS might coordinate the switch to a biofilm lifestyle when the population density reaches a threshold level. However, compelling evidence obtained in different bacterial species coincides in that activation of QS occurs in the formed biofilm and activates the maturation and disassembly of the biofilm in a coordinate manner. The aim of this review is to illustrate, using four bacterial pathogens as examples, the emergent concept that QS activates the biofilm dispersion process.