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A mathematical model of quorum sensing regulated EPS production in biofilm communities
BACKGROUND: Biofilms are microbial communities encased in a layer of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). The EPS matrix provides several functional purposes for the biofilm, such as protecting bacteria from environmental stresses, and providing mechanical stability. Quorum sensing is a cell-ce...
Autores principales: | , , , |
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Formato: | Texto |
Lenguaje: | English |
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BioMed Central
2011
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Acceso en línea: | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3090360/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21477365 http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1742-4682-8-8 |
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author | Frederick, Mallory R Kuttler, Christina Hense, Burkhard A Eberl, Hermann J |
author_facet | Frederick, Mallory R Kuttler, Christina Hense, Burkhard A Eberl, Hermann J |
author_sort | Frederick, Mallory R |
collection | PubMed |
description | BACKGROUND: Biofilms are microbial communities encased in a layer of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). The EPS matrix provides several functional purposes for the biofilm, such as protecting bacteria from environmental stresses, and providing mechanical stability. Quorum sensing is a cell-cell communication mechanism used by several bacterial taxa to coordinate gene expression and behaviour in groups, based on population densities. MODEL: We mathematically model quorum sensing and EPS production in a growing biofilm under various environmental conditions, to study how a developing biofilm impacts quorum sensing, and conversely, how a biofilm is affected by quorum sensing-regulated EPS production. We investigate circumstances when using quorum-sensing regulated EPS production is a beneficial strategy for biofilm cells. RESULTS: We find that biofilms that use quorum sensing to induce increased EPS production do not obtain the high cell populations of low-EPS producers, but can rapidly increase their volume to parallel high-EPS producers. Quorum sensing-induced EPS production allows a biofilm to switch behaviours, from a colonization mode (with an optimized growth rate), to a protection mode. CONCLUSIONS: A biofilm will benefit from using quorum sensing-induced EPS production if bacteria cells have the objective of acquiring a thick, protective layer of EPS, or if they wish to clog their environment with biomass as a means of securing nutrient supply and outcompeting other colonies in the channel, of their own or a different species. |
format | Text |
id | pubmed-3090360 |
institution | National Center for Biotechnology Information |
language | English |
publishDate | 2011 |
publisher | BioMed Central |
record_format | MEDLINE/PubMed |
spelling | pubmed-30903602011-05-10 A mathematical model of quorum sensing regulated EPS production in biofilm communities Frederick, Mallory R Kuttler, Christina Hense, Burkhard A Eberl, Hermann J Theor Biol Med Model Research BACKGROUND: Biofilms are microbial communities encased in a layer of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). The EPS matrix provides several functional purposes for the biofilm, such as protecting bacteria from environmental stresses, and providing mechanical stability. Quorum sensing is a cell-cell communication mechanism used by several bacterial taxa to coordinate gene expression and behaviour in groups, based on population densities. MODEL: We mathematically model quorum sensing and EPS production in a growing biofilm under various environmental conditions, to study how a developing biofilm impacts quorum sensing, and conversely, how a biofilm is affected by quorum sensing-regulated EPS production. We investigate circumstances when using quorum-sensing regulated EPS production is a beneficial strategy for biofilm cells. RESULTS: We find that biofilms that use quorum sensing to induce increased EPS production do not obtain the high cell populations of low-EPS producers, but can rapidly increase their volume to parallel high-EPS producers. Quorum sensing-induced EPS production allows a biofilm to switch behaviours, from a colonization mode (with an optimized growth rate), to a protection mode. CONCLUSIONS: A biofilm will benefit from using quorum sensing-induced EPS production if bacteria cells have the objective of acquiring a thick, protective layer of EPS, or if they wish to clog their environment with biomass as a means of securing nutrient supply and outcompeting other colonies in the channel, of their own or a different species. BioMed Central 2011-04-10 /pmc/articles/PMC3090360/ /pubmed/21477365 http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1742-4682-8-8 Text en Copyright ©2011 Frederick et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0 This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. |
spellingShingle | Research Frederick, Mallory R Kuttler, Christina Hense, Burkhard A Eberl, Hermann J A mathematical model of quorum sensing regulated EPS production in biofilm communities |
title | A mathematical model of quorum sensing regulated EPS production in biofilm communities |
title_full | A mathematical model of quorum sensing regulated EPS production in biofilm communities |
title_fullStr | A mathematical model of quorum sensing regulated EPS production in biofilm communities |
title_full_unstemmed | A mathematical model of quorum sensing regulated EPS production in biofilm communities |
title_short | A mathematical model of quorum sensing regulated EPS production in biofilm communities |
title_sort | mathematical model of quorum sensing regulated eps production in biofilm communities |
topic | Research |
url | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3090360/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21477365 http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1742-4682-8-8 |
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