Flagellar Motility During E. coli Biofilm Formation Provides a Competitive Disadvantage Which Recedes in the Presence of Co-Colonizers.

ABSTRACT: In nature, bacteria form biofilms in very diverse environments, involving a range of specific properties and exhibiting competitive advantages for surface colonization. However, the underlying mechanisms are difficult to decipher. In particular, the contribution of cell flagellar motility to biofilm formation remains unclear. Here, we examined the ability of motile and nonmotile E. coli cells to form a biofilm in a well-controlled geometry, both in a simple situation involving a single-species biofilm and in the presence of co-colonizers. Using a millifluidic channel, we determined that motile cells have a clear disadvantage in forming a biofilm, exhibiting a long delay as compared to nonmotile cells. By monitoring biofilm development in real time, we observed that the decisive impa

SUBMITTER: Benyoussef W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9307998 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature