Abstract
Biofilm formation has evolved as an adaptive strategy for bacteria to cope with harsh environmental conditions. Currently, little is known about the molecular mechanisms of biofilm formation in bifidobacteria. A time series transcriptome sequencing analysis of both biofilm and planktonic cells of Bifidobacterium longum FGSZY16M3 was performed to identify candidate genes involved in biofilm formation. Protein–protein interaction network analysis of 1296 differentially expressed genes during biofilm formation yielded 15 clusters of highly interconnected nodes, indicating that genes related to the SOS response (dnaK, groS, guaB, ruvA, recA, radA, recN, recF, pstA, and sufD) associated with the early stage of biofilm formation. Genes involved in extracellular polymeric substances were upregulated (epsH, epsK, efp, frr, pheT, rfbA, rfbJ, rfbP, rpmF, secY and yidC) in the stage of biofilm maturation. To further investigate the genes related to biofilm formation, weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was performed with 2032 transcript genes, leading to the identification of nine WGCNA modules and 133 genes associated with response to stress, regulation of gene expression, quorum sensing, and two-component system. These results indicate that biofilm formation in B. longum is a multifactorial process, involving stress response, structural development, and regulatory processes.
Highlights
Biofilm formation represents a unique protective mode of bacterial growth in which bacterial cells are structurally organized and their tolerance to several hostile conditions is dramatically improved [1]
We found that luxS involved in the synthesis of AI-2 was highly expressed (120.65) in 34 hG sample, and RbsB-type receptor homology genes were identified in B. longum FGSZY16M3 (Table 2) and were highly expressed in the early stages of biofilm formation (Table 3)
A time series global transcription profiling of B. longum FGSZY16M3 showed transcriptional changes when cultivated under biofilm and planktonic conditions
Summary
Biofilm formation represents a unique protective mode of bacterial growth in which bacterial cells are structurally organized and their tolerance to several hostile conditions is dramatically improved [1]. The beneficial effects of probiotic strains in the form of biofilms have been verified, including their increased resistance to gastric pH, temperature, and mechanical forces compared to their planktonic counterparts [2]. Biofilms formed by probiotic biofilms can be potentially used to control the growth of spoilage and pathogenic bacteria in industrial and medical setups [3]. The ability of Bifidobacterium to form biofilms on abiotic surfaces (stainless steel, glass, polystyrene, or complex food matrices) has been studied, and the results suggests that biofilm formation is driven by the properties of both the selected strains and the carriers [6].
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