Reaction-diffusion theory explains hypoxia and heterogeneous growth within microbial biofilms associated with chronic infections.

ABSTRACT: Reaction-diffusion models were applied to gain insight into the aspects of biofilm infection and persistence by comparing mathematical simulations with the experimental data from varied bacterial biofilms. These comparisons, including three in vitro systems and two clinical investigations of specimens examined ex vivo, underscored the central importance of concentration gradients of metabolic substrates and the resulting physiological heterogeneity of the microorganisms. Relatively simple one-dimensional and two-dimensional (2D) models captured the: (1) experimentally determined distribution of specific growth rates measured in Pseudomonas aeruginosa cells within sputum from cystic fibrosis patients; (2) pattern of relative growth rate within aggregates of streptococca

SUBMITTER: Stewart PS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5515263 | biostudies-literature | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature