Bacterial biofilm: composition, regulation and association with plant

Abstract:

Biofilm is a highly structured bacterial community state. Bacterial extracellular matrix substances such as EPS, eDNA, and extracellular proteins are involved in the formation of biofilm. These matrix substances enhance biofilm mechanical stability, promote bacterial adhesion to solid surface, facilitate nutrient circulation and gene transfer, and provide other advantages to the bacterial survival. Biofilm formation is related to quorum sensing, C-di-GMP and sRNA. In soil environment habitat plenty of bacteria, many of which colonize plant roots and thus interact with host plants intensively. Biofilm is known to play an important role in plant colonization by soil bacteria including both phytopathogenic and plant beneficial ones. In this paper the biofilm studies are reviewed with a focus on biofilm composition, regulation and, especially its association with plant roots.