Gram-negative bacteria can also form pellicles

Environ Microbiol Rep. 2014 Dec;6(6):534-44. doi: 10.1111/1758-2229.12171.

Abstract

There is a growing interest in the bacterial pellicle, a biofilm floating at the air-liquid interface. Pellicles have been well studied in the Gram-positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis, but far less in Gram-negative bacteria, where pellicle studies have mostly focused on matrix components rather than on the regulatory cascades involved. Several Gram-negative bacteria, including pathogenic bacteria, have been shown to be able to form a pellicle under static conditions. Here, we summarize the growing body of knowledge about pellicle formation in Gram-negative bacteria, especially about the components of the pellicle matrix. We also propose that the pellicle is a specific biofilm, and that its formation involves particular processes. Since this lifestyle concerns a growing number of bacteria, its properties undoubtedly deserve further investigation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics
  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism
  • Biofilms*
  • Gram-Negative Bacteria / classification
  • Gram-Negative Bacteria / cytology
  • Gram-Negative Bacteria / genetics
  • Gram-Negative Bacteria / physiology*
  • Polysaccharides, Bacterial / metabolism

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Polysaccharides, Bacterial