Pathogens protection against the action of disinfectants in multispecies biofilms

Abstract

Biofilms constitute the prevalent way of life for microorganisms in both natural and man-made environments. Biofilm-dwelling cells display greater tolerance to antimicrobial agents than those that are free-living, and the mechanisms by which this occurs have been investigated extensively using single-strain axenic models. However, there is growing evidence that interspecies interactions may profoundly alter the response of the community to such toxic exposure. In this paper, we propose an overview of the studies dealing with multispecies biofilms resistance to biocides, with particular reference to the protection of pathogenic species by resident surface flora when subjected to disinfectants treatments. The mechanisms involved in such protection include interspecies signaling, interference between biocides molecules and public goods in the matrix, or the physiology and genetic plasticity associated with a structural spatial arrangement. After describing these different mechanisms, we will discuss the experimental methods available for their analysis in the context of complex multispecies biofilms.

Biofilm formation and disinfectant resistance ofSalmonellasp. in mono- and dual-species withPseudomonas aeruginosa

“…In mixed‐species biofilms, EPS produced by one species could protect another species against biocides by exacerbating diffusion reaction limitations (Sanchez‐Vizuete et al . ). The protective role of cellulose for S .…”

The Behavior of Staphylococcus aureus Dual-Species Biofilms Treated with Bacteriophage phiIPLA-RODI Depends on the Accompanying Microorganism

“…The presence of different microorganisms renders the structure of the biofilm very complex, which has important implications for biofilm eradication and removal. Indeed, multispecies interactions in mixed biofilms are known to affect resistance to disinfectants (3). For instance, the presence of a curli-producing Escherichia coli strain was found to protect Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium biofilm cells from chlorine (4).…”

Removal of Listeria monocytogenes dual-species biofilms using combined enzyme-benzalkonium chloride treatments

“…Previous investigations have reported that interspecies interactions that take place within multi-species biofilms significantly modify the matrix composition if compared with monocultures (Giaouris et al 2015;Sanchez-Vizuete et al 2015). This differential composition can affect, among others, the efficacy of enzymes as well as several antimicrobial compounds .…”