Streptococcus thermophilus Biofilm Formation: A Remnant Trait of Ancestral Commensal Life?

ABSTRACT: Microorganisms have a long history of use in food production and preservation. Their adaptation to food environments has profoundly modified their features, mainly through genomic flux. Streptococcus thermophilus, one of the most frequent starter culture organisms consumed daily by humans emerged recently from a commensal ancestor. As such, it is a useful model for genomic studies of bacterial domestication processes. Many streptococcal species form biofilms, a key feature of the major lifestyle of these bacteria in nature. However, few descriptions of S. thermophilus biofilms have been reported. An analysis of the ability of a representative collection of natural isolates to form biofilms revealed that S. thermophilus was a poor biofilm producer and that this characteristic was associated

SUBMITTER: Couvigny B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4452758 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature