Author(s)

Van Nguyen^#, Bea Penaredondo^#, Girdhari Rijal^*

Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Public Health, and Nutrition Science, College of Health Sciences, Tarleton State University, A Member of Texas A & M University System, Fort Worth, Texas, USA.

Some bacteria have the ability to co-exist, proliferate and survive in a multicellular community, biofilm. Each participating bacteria can form its colonies and encases itself by a self-produced insoluble extracellular matrix substance (EPS). Microcolonies within biofilm are held together by interactions and bonding of the substances present in the EPS with their separation from the water channels. Similar to insoluble EPS, bacterial microcolonies release soluble exofactors that have direct impacts on the survivability, growth and antibacterial resistivity of other microcolonies made of single- or multi-species bacteria in the same biofilm. How the exofactors of microcolonies of one-type bacteria impact on microcolonies of other-type bacteria is still unclear. We studied about the role of exofactors released from Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which are common biofilm-forming pathogenic bacteria. Exofactors facilitate to transform the microenvironment where bacteria can acquire alternative lifestyle with a long survival period and resistivity to certain antimicrobial drugs.

Biofilm, Exofactors, Antimicrobial Drugs, Growth, Extracellular Matrix Substance, Microcolonies

Nguyen^#, V. , Penaredondo^#, B. and Rijal, G. (2024) Bacterial Exofactors Modulate Biofilm Growth and Resistivity to Antimicrobial Drugs. Advances in Microbiology, 14, 11-24. doi: 10.4236/aim.2024.141002.