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Growing and Characterizing Biofilms Formed by Streptococcus pneumoniae

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Streptococcus pneumoniae

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 1968))

Abstract

It is estimated that over 80% of bacterial infections are associated with biofilm formation. Biofilms are organized bacterial communities formed on abiotic surfaces, such as implanted or inserted medical devices, or on biological surfaces, such as epithelial linings and mucosal surfaces. Biofilm growth is advantageous for the bacterial organism as it protects the bacteria from antimicrobial host factors and allows the bacteria to reside in the host without causing excessive inflammation. Like many other opportunistic pathogens of the respiratory tract, Streptococcus pneumoniae forms biofilms during asymptomatic carriage, which promotes, among other things, persistence in the niche, intraspecies and interspecies communication, and spread of bacterial DNA. Changes within the colonizing environment resulting from host assaults, such as virus infection, can induce biofilm dispersion where bacteria leave the biofilm and disseminate to other sites with ensuing infection. In this chapter, we present methodology to form complex biofilms in the nasopharynx of mice and to evaluate the biofilm structure and function in this environment. Furthermore, we present methods that recapitulate this biofilm phenotype in vitro by incorporating crucial factors associated with the host environment and describe how these models can be used to study biofilm function, transformation, and dispersion.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Wallenberg Laboratory, Division of Experimental Infection Medicine, Department of Translational Medicine, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden

    Yashuan Chao, Caroline Bergenfelz & Anders P. Hakansson

Authors
  1. Yashuan Chao
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  2. Caroline Bergenfelz
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  3. Anders P. Hakansson
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Anders P. Hakansson .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Bioclinicum, Stockholm, Sweden

    Federico Iovino

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Chao, Y., Bergenfelz, C., Hakansson, A.P. (2019). Growing and Characterizing Biofilms Formed by Streptococcus pneumoniae. In: Iovino, F. (eds) Streptococcus pneumoniae. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 1968. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-9199-0_13

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-9199-0_13

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-9198-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4939-9199-0

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