This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Dunne, W. M. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Dunne, W. M., Jr.

Next Article 

Clinical Microbiology Reviews, April 2002, p. 155-166, Vol. 15, No. 2
0893-8512/02/$04.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/CMR.15.2.155-166.2002
Copyright © 2002, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Bacterial Adhesion: Seen Any Good Biofilms Lately?

Department of Pathology and Immunology and Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, and Microbiology Laboratory, Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis, Missouri 63110

The process of surface adhesion and biofilm development is a survival strategy employed by virtually all bacteria and refined over millions of years. This process is designed to anchor microorganisms in a nutritionally advantageous environment and to permit their escape to greener pastures when essential growth factors have been exhausted. Bacterial attachment to a surface can be divided into several distinct phases, including primary and reversible adhesion, secondary and irreversible adhesion, and biofilm formation. Each of these phases is ultimately controlled by the expression of one or more gene products. Ultrastructurally, the mature bacterial biofilm resembles an underwater coral reef containing pyramidal or mushroom-shaped microcolonies of organisms embedded within an extracellular glycocalyx, with channels and cavities to allow the exchange of nutrients and waste. The biofilm protects its inhabitants from predators, dehydration, biocides, and other environmental extremes while regulating population growth and diversity through primitive cell signals. From a physiological standpoint, surface-bound bacteria behave quite differently from their planktonic counterparts. Recognizing that bacteria naturally occur as surface-bound and often polymicrobic communities, the practice of performing antimicrobial susceptibility tests using pure cultures and in a planktonic growth mode should be questioned. That this model does not reflect conditions found in nature might help explain the difficulties encountered in the management and treatment of biomedical implant infections.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Darnell, C. L., Hussa, E. A., Visick, K. L. (2008). The Putative Hybrid Sensor Kinase SypF Coordinates Biofilm Formation in Vibrio fischeri by Acting Upstream of Two Response Regulators, SypG and VpsR. J. Bacteriol. 190: 4941-4950 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Zardus, J. D., Nedved, B. T., Huang, Y., Tran, C., Hadfield, M. G. (2008). Microbial Biofilms Facilitate Adhesion in Biofouling Invertebrates. Biol. Bull. 214: 91-98 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Jacobsen, S. M., Stickler, D. J., Mobley, H. L. T., Shirtliff, M. E. (2008). Complicated Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections Due to Escherichia coli and Proteus mirabilis. Clin. Microbiol. Rev. 21: 26-59 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Nocker, A., Sossa-Fernandez, P., Burr, M. D., Camper, A. K. (2007). Use of Propidium Monoazide for Live/Dead Distinction in Microbial Ecology. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 73: 5111-5117 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Zhang, X.-S., Garcia-Contreras, R., Wood, T. K. (2007). YcfR (BhsA) Influences Escherichia coli Biofilm Formation through Stress Response and Surface Hydrophobicity. J. Bacteriol. 189: 3051-3062 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Van Wamel, W. J. B., Hendrickx, A. P. A., Bonten, M. J. M., Top, J., Posthuma, G., Willems, R. J. L. (2007). Growth Condition-Dependent Esp Expression by Enterococcus faecium Affects Initial Adherence and Biofilm Formation. Infect. Immun. 75: 924-931 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Kadouri, D., Venzon, N. C., O'Toole, G. A. (2007). Vulnerability of Pathogenic Biofilms to Micavibrio aeruginosavorus. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 73: 605-614 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Taguchi, F., Ogawa, Y., Takeuchi, K., Suzuki, T., Toyoda, K., Shiraishi, T., Ichinose, Y. (2006). A Homologue of the 3-Oxoacyl-(Acyl Carrier Protein) Synthase III Gene Located in the Glycosylation Island of Pseudomonas syringae pv. tabaci Regulates Virulence Factors via N-Acyl Homoserine Lactone and Fatty Acid Synthesis. J. Bacteriol. 188: 8376-8384 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• McAuliffe, L., Ellis, R. J., Miles, K., Ayling, R. D., Nicholas, R. A. J. (2006). Biofilm formation by mycoplasma species and its role in environmental persistence and survival.. Microbiology 152: 913-922 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Furukawa, S., Kuchma, S. L., O'Toole, G. A. (2006). Keeping Their Options Open: Acute versus Persistent Infections. J. Bacteriol. 188: 1211-1217 [Full Text]  
• Piao, Z., Sze, C. C., Barysheva, O., Iida, K.-i., Yoshida, S.-i. (2006). Temperature-Regulated Formation of Mycelial Mat-Like Biofilms by Legionella pneumophila. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 72: 1613-1622 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Chaw, K. C., Manimaran, M., Tay, F. E. H. (2005). Role of Silver Ions in Destabilization of Intermolecular Adhesion Forces Measured by Atomic Force Microscopy in Staphylococcus epidermidis Biofilms. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 49: 4853-4859 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Torres, A. G., Jeter, C., Langley, W., Matthysse, A. G. (2005). Differential Binding of Escherichia coli O157:H7 to Alfalfa, Human Epithelial Cells, and Plastic Is Mediated by a Variety of Surface Structures. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 71: 8008-8015 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Wang, E. W., Jung, J. Y., Pashia, M. E., Nason, R., Scholnick, S., Chole, R. A. (2005). Otopathogenic Pseudomonas aeruginosa Strains as Competent Biofilm Formers. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 131: 983-989 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Blanco, A. R., Sudano-Roccaro, A., Spoto, G. C., Nostro, A., Rusciano, D. (2005). Epigallocatechin Gallate Inhibits Biofilm Formation by Ocular Staphylococcal Isolates. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 49: 4339-4343 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Spiers, A. J., Rainey, P. B. (2005). The Pseudomonas fluorescens SBW25 wrinkly spreader biofilm requires attachment factor, cellulose fibre and LPS interactions to maintain strength and integrity. Microbiology 151: 2829-2839 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Jurcisek, J., Greiner, L., Watanabe, H., Zaleski, A., Apicella, M. A., Bakaletz, L. O. (2005). Role of Sialic Acid and Complex Carbohydrate Biosynthesis in Biofilm Formation by Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae in the Chinchilla Middle Ear. Infect. Immun. 73: 3210-3218 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Tan, L., Darby, C. (2004). A Movable Surface: Formation of Yersinia sp. Biofilms on Motile Caenorhabditis elegans. J. Bacteriol. 186: 5087-5092 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Nascimento, A. L. T. O., Ko, A. I., Martins, E. A. L., Monteiro-Vitorello, C. B., Ho, P. L., Haake, D. A., Verjovski-Almeida, S., Hartskeerl, R. A., Marques, M. V., Oliveira, M. C., Menck, C. F. M., Leite, L. C. C., Carrer, H., Coutinho, L. L., Degrave, W. M., Dellagostin, O. A., El-Dorry, H., Ferro, E. S., Ferro, M. I. T., Furlan, L. R., Gamberini, M., Giglioti, E. A., Goes-Neto, A., Goldman, G. H., Goldman, M. H. S., Harakava, R., Jeronimo, S. M. B, Junqueira-de-Azevedo, I. L. M., Kimura, E. T., Kuramae, E. E., Lemos, E. G. M., Lemos, M. V. F., Marino, C. L., Nunes, L. R., de Oliveira, R. C., Pereira, G. G., Reis, M. S., Schriefer, A., Siqueira, W. J., Sommer, P., Tsai, S. M., Simpson, A. J. G., Ferro, J. A., Camargo, L. E. A., Kitajima, J. P., Setubal, J. C., Van Sluys, M. A. (2004). Comparative Genomics of Two Leptospira interrogans Serovars Reveals Novel Insights into Physiology and Pathogenesis. J. Bacteriol. 186: 2164-2172 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Bodenmiller, D., Toh, E., Brun, Y. V. (2004). Development of Surface Adhesion in Caulobacter crescentus. J. Bacteriol. 186: 1438-1447 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Grass, G., Schierhorn, A., Sorkau, E., Muller, H., Rucknagel, P., Nies, D. H., Fricke, B. (2004). Camelysin Is a Novel Surface Metalloproteinase from Bacillus cereus. Infect. Immun. 72: 219-228 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Wu, J. A., Kusuma, C., Mond, J. J., Kokai-Kun, J. F. (2003). Lysostaphin Disrupts Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis Biofilms on Artificial Surfaces. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 47: 3407-3414 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Loeffler, J. M., Djurkovic, S., Fischetti, V. A. (2003). Phage Lytic Enzyme Cpl-1 as a Novel Antimicrobial for Pneumococcal Bacteremia. Infect. Immun. 71: 6199-6204 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Kinsinger, R. F., Shirk, M. C., Fall, R. (2003). Rapid Surface Motility in Bacillus subtilis Is Dependent on Extracellular Surfactin and Potassium Ion. J. Bacteriol. 185: 5627-5631 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Anderson, G. G., Palermo, J. J., Schilling, J. D., Roth, R., Heuser, J., Hultgren, S. J. (2003). Intracellular Bacterial Biofilm-Like Pods in Urinary Tract Infections. Science 301: 105-107 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• PORTEOUS, N. B., REDDING, S. W., THOMPSON, E. H., GROOTERS, A. M., DE HOOG, S., SUTTON, D. A. (2003). Isolation of an unusual fungus in treated dental unit waterlines. Journal of the American Dental Association 134: 853-858 [Abstract] [Full Text]