Abstract
Biofilms are organized multicellular communities encased in an extracellular polymeric substance (EPS). Biofilm-resident bacteria resist immunity and antimicrobials. The EPS provides structural stability and presents a barrier; however, a complete understanding of how EPS structure relates to biological function is lacking. This review focuses on the EPS of three Gram-negative pathogens: Pseudomonas aeruginosa, nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae, and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi/Typhimurium. Although EPS proteins and polysaccharides are diverse, common constituents include extracellular DNA, DNABII (DNA binding and bending) proteins, pili, flagella, and outer membrane vesicles. The EPS biochemistry promotes recalcitrance and informs the design of therapies to reduce or eliminate biofilm burden.
Highlights
Biofilms, which are defined as highly organized multicellular communities of bacteria encased in an extracellular polymeric substance,3 contribute to most chronic infections in the body
The EPS can be diverse, depending on the microbe(s) that initiate its formation, most are composed of bacterial proteins, polysaccharides, and extracellular DNA [2]
The overall goal of this review is to describe the interface between host immunity and the biofilm EPS matrix of three important and well studied human pathogens (Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pa), nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHI), and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium/Typhi (St/Sty))
Summary
What’s on the Outside Matters: The Role of the Extracellular Polymeric Substance of Gramnegative Biofilms in Evading Host Immunity and as a Target for Therapeutic Intervention*. Biofilms, which are defined as highly organized multicellular communities of bacteria encased in an extracellular polymeric substance (or EPS), contribute to most chronic infections in the body. These infections confer a significant socioeconomic burden with treatments costing billions of dollars annually. To develop new therapeutic strategies to limit chronic human infection, it is crucial to understand how the biofilm EPS provides protection against antimicrobials and the immune system Addressing this requires a greater understanding of biofilm maturation in vivo with a focus on discerning what factors influence whether the immune response either augments biofilm formation, contributing to persistence, or results in effective biofilm disruption with clearance of the pathogen. Sophisticated, well established animal models to both study each of these infections and conduct pre-clinical evaluation of biofilm-focused therapeutic modalities will be discussed
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