Bacteriophages and Biofilms

Antibiotics

David R. Harper¹  Helena M. R. T. Parracho¹  James Walker⁴  Richard Sharp⁴  Gavin Hughes³  Maria Werthén²  Susan Lehman¹ 

[1] AmpliPhi Biosciences, Glen Allen, VA 23060, USA; E-Mails:;Maria Werthén, Mölnlycke Health Care AB, SE-402 52 Gothenburg, Sweden; E-Mail:;Gavin Hughes—The Surgical Materials Testing Laboratory, Bridgend, South Wales CF31 1RQ, UK; E-Mail:;Public Health England, Porton Down, Salisbury SP4 0JG, UK; E-Mails:

关键词: bacteriophage;    biofilm;    antibiotic resistance;    phage therapy;    depolymerase;    persister cells;   

DOI  :  10.3390/antibiotics3030270

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

Biofilms are an extremely common adaptation, allowing bacteria to colonize hostile environments. They present unique problems for antibiotics and biocides, both due to the nature of the extracellular matrix and to the presence within the biofilm of metabolically inactive persister cells. Such chemicals can be highly effective against planktonic bacterial cells, while being essentially ineffective against biofilms. By contrast, bacteriophages seem to have a greater ability to target this common form of bacterial growth. The high numbers of bacteria present within biofilms actually facilitate the action of bacteriophages by allowing rapid and efficient infection of the host and consequent amplification of the bacteriophage. Bacteriophages also have a number of properties that make biofilms susceptible to their action. They are known to produce (or to be able to induce) enzymes that degrade the extracellular matrix. They are also able to infect persister cells, remaining dormant within them, but re-activating when they become metabolically active. Some cultured biofilms also seem better able to support the replication of bacteriophages than comparable planktonic systems. It is perhaps unsurprising that bacteriophages, as the natural predators of bacteria, have the ability to target this common form of bacterial life.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2014 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.