Exploiting social evolution in biofilms

TY - JOUR

T1 - Exploiting social evolution in biofilms

AU - Boyle, Kerry E

AU - Heilmann, Silja

AU - van Ditmarsch, Dave

AU - Xavier, Joao B

N1 - Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

PY - 2013/4

Y1 - 2013/4

N2 - Bacteria are highly social organisms that communicate via signaling molecules, move collectively over surfaces and make biofilm communities. Nonetheless, our main line of defense against pathogenic bacteria consists of antibiotics-drugs that target individual-level traits of bacterial cells and thus, regrettably, select for resistance against their own action. A possible solution lies in targeting the mechanisms by which bacteria interact with each other within biofilms. The emerging field of microbial social evolution combines molecular microbiology with evolutionary theory to dissect the molecular mechanisms and the evolutionary pressures underpinning bacterial sociality. This exciting new research can ultimately lead to new therapies against biofilm infections that exploit evolutionary cheating or the trade-off between biofilm formation and dispersal.

AB - Bacteria are highly social organisms that communicate via signaling molecules, move collectively over surfaces and make biofilm communities. Nonetheless, our main line of defense against pathogenic bacteria consists of antibiotics-drugs that target individual-level traits of bacterial cells and thus, regrettably, select for resistance against their own action. A possible solution lies in targeting the mechanisms by which bacteria interact with each other within biofilms. The emerging field of microbial social evolution combines molecular microbiology with evolutionary theory to dissect the molecular mechanisms and the evolutionary pressures underpinning bacterial sociality. This exciting new research can ultimately lead to new therapies against biofilm infections that exploit evolutionary cheating or the trade-off between biofilm formation and dispersal.

KW - Bacteria

KW - Bacterial Physiological Phenomena

KW - Biofilms

KW - Models, Biological

KW - Quorum Sensing

KW - Signal Transduction

KW - Journal Article

KW - Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

KW - Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

KW - Review

U2 - 10.1016/j.mib.2013.01.003

DO - 10.1016/j.mib.2013.01.003

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 23357558

SN - 1369-5274

VL - 16

SP - 207

EP - 212

JO - Current Opinion in Microbiology

JF - Current Opinion in Microbiology

IS - 2

ER -