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Exploring early steps in biofilm formation : set-up of an experimental system for molecular studies
BACKGROUND: Bacterial biofilms are predominant in natural ecosystems and constitute a public health threat
because of their outstanding resistance to antibacterial treatments and especially to antibiotics. To date, several
systems have been developed to grow bacterial biofilms in order to study their phenotypes and the physiology of
sessile cells. Although relevant, such systems permit analysis of various aspects of the biofilm state but often after
several hours of bacterial growth.
RESULTS: Here we describe a simple and easy-to-use system for growing P. aeruginosa biofilm based on the medium
adsorption onto glass wool fibers. This approach which promotes bacterial contact onto the support, makes it possible
to obtain in a few minutes a large population of sessile bacteria. Using this growth system, we demonstrated the
feasibility of exploring the early stages of biofilm formation by separating by electrophoresis proteins extracted
directly from immobilized cells. Moreover, the involvement of protein synthesis in P. aeruginosa attachment is
demonstrated.
CONCLUSIONS: Our system provides sufficient sessile biomass to perform biochemical and proteomic analyses from
the early incubation period, thus paving the way for the molecular analysis of the early stages of colonization
that were inaccessible to date.