Bacteria can form interconnected microcolonies when a self-excreted product reduces their surface motility: evidence from individual-based model simulations

TY - JOUR

T1 - Bacteria can form interconnected microcolonies when a self-excreted product reduces their surface motility: evidence from individual-based model simulations

AU - Mabrouk, Nabil

AU - Deffuant, Guillaume

AU - Tolker-Nielsen, Tim

AU - Lobry, Claude

PY - 2010/6

Y1 - 2010/6

N2 - Recent experimental observations of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a model bacterium in biofilm research, reveal that, under specific growth conditions, bacterial cells form patterns of interconnected microcolonies. In the present work, we use an individual-based model to assess the involvement of bacteria motility and self-produced extracellular substance in the formation of these patterns. In our simulations, the pattern of interconnected microcolonies appears only when bacteria motility is reduced by excreted extracellular macromolecules. Immotile bacteria form isolated microcolonies and constantly motile bacteria form flat biofilms. Based on experimental data and computer simulations, we suggest a mechanism that could be responsible for these interconnected microcolonies.

AB - Recent experimental observations of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a model bacterium in biofilm research, reveal that, under specific growth conditions, bacterial cells form patterns of interconnected microcolonies. In the present work, we use an individual-based model to assess the involvement of bacteria motility and self-produced extracellular substance in the formation of these patterns. In our simulations, the pattern of interconnected microcolonies appears only when bacteria motility is reduced by excreted extracellular macromolecules. Immotile bacteria form isolated microcolonies and constantly motile bacteria form flat biofilms. Based on experimental data and computer simulations, we suggest a mechanism that could be responsible for these interconnected microcolonies.

U2 - 10.1007/s12064-009-0078-8

DO - 10.1007/s12064-009-0078-8

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 19946800

SN - 1431-7613

VL - 129

SP - 1

EP - 13

JO - Theory in Biosciences

JF - Theory in Biosciences

IS - 1

ER -