EXTRACELLULAR POLYMERIC SUBSTANCE OF BIOFILMS IN THE FORMATION OF ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE OF MICROORGANISMS

Abstract

The analysis of modern literature data on the mechanisms of the formationof antibiotic resistance and the role of extracellular polymeric substance in biofilms, whichare the main form of microbial existence. The role of extracellular polymeric substance inlimiting of the effect of unfavorable factors as well as the regularity and necessity of itsformation for the community of microorganisms were discussed. The position on thepermanent character of phenotype dispersion of microorganisms is postulated. Thisdispersion doesn’t provide the formation of more resistant strains only, but plays theprominent role in the permanent formation of various forms, that aren’t viable under givenconditions but play the role of a depot of building material for extracellular polymericsubstance. The mass death of low-resistant forms caused by the action of the antibioticensures saturation of the extracellular polymeric substance by dechromatized DNA, thatincreases the resistance of the microbial socium and contributes to the further formation ofmultiresistance.