A brick in the wall: Discovering a novel mineral component of the biofilm extracellular matrix

•Biofilms can contain an internal mineral layer that promotes pattern formation and bacterial differentiation.•Biomineralization leads to reduced sensitivity of the biofilm cells to antibiotics.•Biomineralization in a biofilm is a controlled process resulting in a functional macrostructure.•Mineral...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:New biotechnology 2020-05, Vol.56, p.9-15
Main Authors: Keren-Paz, Alona, Kolodkin-Gal, Ilana
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Antibiotics
Bacteria
Biofilms
Biomineralization
Calcite
Construction materials
Extracellular Matrix
Gram-negative bacteria
Minerals
Persistent Infections
Phylogeny
Solutes
Structure-function relationships
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Summary:•Biofilms can contain an internal mineral layer that promotes pattern formation and bacterial differentiation.•Biomineralization leads to reduced sensitivity of the biofilm cells to antibiotics.•Biomineralization in a biofilm is a controlled process resulting in a functional macrostructure.•Mineral scaffolds might be a general phenomenon common to many distinct bacterial species.•Inhibition of enzymes central to mineralization is a potential therapeutic strategy. Multicellular bacterial communities, known as biofilms, have been thought to be held together solely by a self-produced organic extracellular matrix (ECM). However, new evidence for a missed mineral constituent of ECM in both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial species, is accumulating. Study of two phylogenetically distinct bacteria, Bacillus subtilis and Mycobacterium smegmatis, identified a novel mechanism crucial for proper biofilm development and architecture – an active, genetically regulated, production of crystalline calcite. The calcite scaffolds stabilize bacterial biofilms, limit penetration of small molecule solutes such as antibiotics and play a conserved role in the assembly of those complex differentiated multicellular communities. This review discusses the recently discovered structural and functional roles of extracellular minerals in biofilms. It is proposed that it is time for a more complete view of the ECM as a complex combination of organic and nonorganic materials, especially in the light of the possible implications for treatment of biofilm infections.
ISSN:1871-6784
1876-4347
DOI:10.1016/j.nbt.2019.11.002