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Biofilm Highlights pp 163–188Cite as

Interfering with “Bacterial Gossip”

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Part of the book series: Springer Series on Biofilms ((BIOFILMS,volume 5))

Abstract

Biofilm resilience poses major challenges to the development of novel antimicrobial agents. Biofilm bacteria can be considered small groups of “Special Forces” capable of infiltrating the host and destroying important components of the cellular defense system with the aim of crippling the host defense. Antibiotics exhibit a rather limited effect on biofilms. Furthermore, antibiotics have an “inherent obsolescence” because they select for development of resistance. Bacterial infections with origin in bacterial biofilms have become a serious threat in developed countries. Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms are thought to be the dominant agent in many chronic infections including those in cystic fibrosis lungs and chronic wounds. With the present day’s awareness of biofilms, the future task is to exploit this knowledge for development and application of antimicrobial intervention strategies that appropriately target bacteria in their relevant habitat with the aim of mitigating their destructive impact on patients. In this review, we describe molecular mechanisms involved in “bacterial gossip” (more scientifically referred to as quorum sensing (QS) and c-di-GMP signaling), virulence, biofilm formation, resistance and QS inhibition as future antimicrobial targets, in particular those that would work to minimize selection pressures for the development of resistant bacteria.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of International Health, Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3, DK, 2200, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Thomas Bjarnsholt, Tim Tolker-Nielsen & Michael Givskov

  2. Department of Clinical Microbiology, University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Denmark

    Thomas Bjarnsholt

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  1. Thomas Bjarnsholt
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  2. Tim Tolker-Nielsen
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  3. Michael Givskov
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Correspondence to Michael Givskov .

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  1. University of Duisburg-Essen, Faculty of Chemistry, Biofilm Centre, Universitätsstrasse 5, Essen, 45141, Germany

    Hans-Curt Flemming

  2. University of Duisburg-Essen, Faculty of Chemistry, Biofilm Centre, Universitätsstr. 5, Essen, 45141, Germany

    Jost Wingender

  3. , Department of Environmental Microbiology, Berlin Institute of Technology, Franklinstr. 29, Berlin, 10587, Germany

    Ulrich Szewzyk

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Bjarnsholt, T., Tolker-Nielsen, T., Givskov, M. (2011). Interfering with “Bacterial Gossip”. In: Flemming, HC., Wingender, J., Szewzyk, U. (eds) Biofilm Highlights. Springer Series on Biofilms, vol 5. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-19940-0_8

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