Bacterial Biofilms and Their Implications in Pathogenesis and Food Safety

Abstract

Biofilm formation is an integral part of the microbial life cycle in nature. In food processing environments, bacterial transmissions occur primarily through raw or undercooked foods and by cross-contamination during unsanitary food preparation practices. Foodborne pathogens form biofilms as a survival strategy in various unfavorable environments, which also become a frequent source of recurrent contamination and outbreaks of foodborne illness. Instead of focusing on bacterial biofilm formation and their pathogenicity individually, this review discusses on a molecular level how these two physiological processes are connected in several common foodborne pathogens such as Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella enterica and Escherichia coli. In addition, biofilm formation by Pseudomonas aeruginosa is discussed because it aids the persistence of many foodborne pathogens forming polymicrobial biofilms on food contact surfaces, thus significantly elevating food safety and public health concerns. Furthermore, in-depth analyses of several bacterial molecules with dual functions in biofilm formation and pathogenicity are highlighted.

Surface microbiota and associated staphylococci of houseflies (Musca domestica) collected from different environmental sources

“…Biofilm formation is an important virulence factor of staphylococci. Especially S. epidermidis and S. aureus strains form an intense biofilm layer on biomaterial, medical devices as well as food contact surfaces [46][47][48]. In this study, the biofilm-forming capacity of staphylococci was examined in two media (TSB+1% sucrose and BHI) using the microplate test.…”

Legionella pneumophila—Virulence Factors and the Possibility of Infection in Dental Practice

“…Quorum sensing (QS) in Gram-negative bacteria regulates the gene expression of various bacterial processes, including biofilm formation [85]. Bacteria that show QS signaling are usually found in artificial aquatic systems and may regulate biofilm production in the environment [86]. The QS autoinductor used by Legionella pneumophila is LAI-1 (3-hydroxypentadecan-4-one), which produces and detects the Lqs system and contains the autoinductive synthase LqsA, homologous sensory kinase LqsS, and the LqsR response regulator [87].…”

Microbial Biofilm Infections in Tissue Implant: A Review

“…The biofi lm now grows in three dimensions and the association is irreversible. In the fi nal stage, some mature biofi lm cells detach and disperse as planktonic cells in the environment, presumably to initiate a new cycle of biofi lm production [14][15][16].…”