Introduction to Biofilms Thematic Minireview Series

The biofilms that many bacteria and fungi produce enable them to form communities, adhere tightly to surfaces, evade host immunity, and resist antibiotics. Pathogenic microorganisms that form biofilms are very difficult to eradicate and thus are a frequent source of life-threatening, hospital-acquired infections. This series of five minireviews from the Journal of Biological Chemistry provides a broad overview of our current understanding of biofilms and the challenges that remain. The structure, biosynthesis, and biological function of the biofilms produced by pathogenic fungi are the subject of the first article, by Sheppard and Howell. Gunn, Bakaletz, and Wozniak focus on the biochemistry and structure of bacterial biofilms, how these structures enable bacteria to evade host immunity, and current and developing strategies for overcoming this resistance. The third and fourth articles present two of the best understood cell signaling pathways involved in biofilm formation. Valentini and Filloux focus on cyclic di-GMP, while Kavanaugh and Horswill discuss the quorum-sensing (agr) system and the relationship between quorum sensing and biofilm formation. Mechanisms of antibiotic resistance, particularly the role of efflux pumps and the development of persister cells, are the topics of the final article by Van Acker and Coenye. The advances described in this series guarantee that ongoing interdisciplinary and international efforts will lead to new insights into the basic biology of biofilm formation, as well as new strategies for therapeutic interventions.