We Are One: Multispecies Metabolism of a Biofilm Consortium and Their Treatment Strategies

Abstract

The ecological and medical significance of bacterial biofilms have been well recognized. Biofilms are harder to control than their planktonic free-living counterparts and quite recently, the focus of the study has shifted to the multispecies consortia, which represent the vast majority of real-case infection scenarios. Studies have begun to explore the complex interspecies interactions within these biofilms. However, only little attention is currently given to the role of cellular metabolites in the cell-to-cell communication. The concentration gradients of metabolic substrates and products affect the spatial growth of bacteria in multispecies biofilm. This, if looked into more deeply, can lead to identification of potential therapies targeting the specific metabolites and hence the coordinated protection in the bacterial community. Herein, we review the interspecies communications, including their metabolic cross-talking, in multispecies biofilm, to signify the importance of such interactions on the initial formation and subsequent growth of these biofilms. Multispecies biofilms with their species heterogeneity are more resilient to antimicrobial agents than their single species biofilm counterparts and this characteristic is of particular interest when dealing with pathogenic bacteria. In this Review, we also discuss the treatment options available, to include current and emerging avenues to combat pathogenic multispecies biofilms in the clinical, environmental, as well as industrial settings.

Three faces of biofilms: a microbial lifestyle, a nascent multicellular organism, and an incubator for diversity

“…Heterogeneity and the division of labour among specialised cell types are key characteristics of multicellular organisms 27 . In mixed-species biofilm communities, the division of labour is primarily achieved via the interaction of different taxonomic groups, each of which occupies a specific niche within the biofilm based on its physiology and functional profile 28 . For example, in microbial mats living in shallow aquatic environments, microbial species are organised according to their metabolic and energetic properties, whereby the uppermost layers are dominated by aerobic photosynthetic organisms that are exposed to light and oxygen, while the deeper layers are mainly composed of anaerobic microorganisms 29 .…”

Cutaneous microbial biofilm formation as an underlying cause of red scrotum syndrome

“…This patient’s recurrence of symptoms during daily ingestion of kefir may also suggest the involvement of Lactobacillus species, which are common components of normal vaginal flora. It is possible the abundant Lactobacillus organisms in kefir somehow triggered a temporary, heightened response to the biofilm [ 35 ].…”

Biofilm through the Looking Glass: A Microbial Food Safety Perspective

“…The transition from reversible to irreversible attachment happens when the weak interaction of the bacteria is transformed to strong permanent bond with favorable conditions and enveloped in an EPS layer [ 33 , 73 ]. The EPS layer are biosynthetic polymers that can be highly diverse in chemical composition and may include substituted and unsubstituted polysaccharides, substituted and unsubstituted proteins, nucleic acids, and phospholipids [ 5 ]. EPS is highly hydrated, as it can incorporate large amounts of water into its structure by hydrogen bonding [ 9 , 32 ].…”

“…Previously, microbiological studies have involved studying microorganisms in axenic stetting, overlooking the fact that in many environments, microorganisms coexist [ 3 ]. With the recent shift in studying microorganisms as a mixed community, there has been a surge of research focusing on biofilms and cell–cell communication, thus sparking the importance of examining multispecies systems and their combined metabolic properties [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ]. Biofilms are complex communities that are anchored to a substratum and are enveloped in an extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) matrix [ 9 , 10 ].…”