Bacterial aggregation triggered by low-level antibiotic-mediated lysis.

ABSTRACT: Suspended bacterial aggregates play a central role in ocean biogeochemistry, industrial processes and probably many clinical infections - yet the factors that trigger aggregation remain poorly understood, as does the relationship between suspended aggregates and surface-attached biofilms. Here we show that very low doses of cell-wall targeting antibiotic, far below the minimal inhibitory concentration, can trigger aggregation of Escherichia coli cells. This occurs when a few cells lyse, releasing extracellular DNA - thus, cell-to-cell variability in antibiotic response leads to population-level aggregation. Although lysis-triggered aggregation echoes known trigger mechanisms for surface-attached biofilms, these aggregates may have different ecological implications since they do not show in

SUBMITTER: Tavaddod S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11427687 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature