The perfect slime : microbial extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) / edited by Hans-Curt Flemming, Thomas R. Neu and Jost Wingender.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Flemming, Hans-Curt, editor.

Neu, Thomas R., editor.

Wingender, Jost, editor.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Microbial polymers.

Biofilms.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (336 pages) : illustrations

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

London, England : IWA Publishing, 2017.

Summary:

The Perfect Slime presents the latest state of knowledge and all aspects of the Extracellular Polymeric Substances, (EPS) matrix - from the ecological and health to the antifouling perspectives. The book brings together all the current material in order to expand our understanding of the functions, properties and characteristics of the matrix as well as the possibilities to strengthen or weaken it. The EPS matrix represents the immediate environment in which biofilm organisms live. From their point of view, this matrix has paramount advantages. It allows them to stay together for extended periods and form synergistic microconsortia, it retains extracellular enzymes and turns the matrix into an external digestion system and it is a universal recycling yard, it protects them against desiccation, it allows for intense communication and represents a huge genetic archive. They can remodel their matrix, break free and eventually, they can use it as a nutrient source. The EPS matrix can be considered as one of the emergent properties of biofilms and are a major reason for the success of this form of life. Nevertheless, they have been termed the "black matter of biofilms" for good reasons. First of all: the isolation methods define the results. In most cases, only water soluble EPS components are investigated; insoluble ones such as cellulose or amyloids are much less included. In particular in environmental biofilms with many species, it is difficult to impossible isolate, separate the various EPS molecules they are encased in and to define which species produced which EPS. The regulation and the factors which trigger or inhibit EPS production are still very poorly understood. Furthermore: bacteria are not the only microorganisms to produce EPS. Archaea, Fungi and algae can also form EPS. This book investigates the questions, What is their composition, function, dynamics and regulation? What do they all have in common?

Contents:

Cover

Copyright

Contents

Preface

Chapter 1: The perfect slime - and the "dark matter" of biofilms

Abstract

1.1 What is 'Perfect'?

1.2 The Matrix: Basis for the Emergent Properties of Biofilms

1.3 The "Dark Matter of Biofilms"

1.3.1 What influences EPS production and how can it be managed?

1.3.2 Where and by which mechanisms are hydrophobic substances sorbed in the matrix?

1.3.3 What are the mechanisms behind water retention?

1.3.4 Can the permeability of biofouling layer be engineered in membrane technology?

1.3.5 Which are the interactions of the various EPS components?

1.3.6 What is the function of complex EPS components?

1.3.7 Which EPS components contribute to matrix stability and how can we predict it?

1.4 Chaos and Function - Self-Organization

Acknowledgements

References

Chapter 2: EPS - a complex mixture

2.1 Introduction

2.2 Microbial Polysaccharide Composition

2.3 Polysaccharide Structure

2.4 Physical Properties

2.5 Polysaccharide Interactions

Chapter 3: The extracellular matrix - an intractable part of biofilm systems

3.1 Introduction

3.2 Challenges

3.3 Biofilm Matrix Analysis

3.4 Biofilm Matrix Constituents

3.4.1 Polysaccharides

3.4.2 Proteins

3.4.3 Amyloids

3.4.4 Extracellular nucleic acids

3.4.5 Amphiphilic compounds

3.4.6 Membrane vesicles

3.4.7 Refractory compounds

3.5 Bacterial Extracellular Biology

3.6 Biofilm Matrix Functionality

3.6.1 Architecture

3.6.2 Protection

3.6.3 Cryo- and Osmo-protection

3.6.4 Sorption

3.6.5 Precipitation

3.6.6 Adhesion

3.6.7 Repellent

3.6.8 Cohesion

3.6.9 Connectivity

3.6.10 Activity

3.6.11 Surface-activity

3.6.12 Information

3.6.13 Competition

3.6.14 Nutrition

3.6.15 Motility

3.6.16 Transportation.

3.6.17 Communication

3.6.18 Conduction

3.6.19 Redox-activity

3.6.20 Dispersion

3.7 Emerging Views of the Biofilm Matrix

Chapter 4: The transition from bacterial adhesion to the production of EPS and biofilm formation

4.1 Introduction

4.2 The Transition from Bacterial Adhesion to Biofilm Formation

4.3 Bacterial Surface Sensing and Cell Wall Deformation

4.4 Methods to Study Bacterial Cell Wall Deformation

4.4.1 Macroscopic bio-optical fluorescence imaging

4.4.2 Atomic force microscopy

4.4.3 Surface thermodynamic approach

4.5 Bacterial Surface Sensing and the Role of EPS in Biofilms

4.5.1 Bacterial surface sensing and EPS production

4.5.2 Role of EPS in biofilms

4.5.2.1 EPS and resistance of biofilms against mechanical attack

4.5.2.2 EPS and resistance of biofilms against chemical attack

4.5.2.3 Lubricating properties of EPS in biofilms

4.6 Methods to Study Biofilm Composition and Structure

4.6.1 Microscopic structure of biofilms

4.6.2 Composition of biofilms

4.6.3 Viscoelastic properties of biofilm

4.6.4 Lubricating properties of biofilms with and without EPS

4.7 Concluding Comments

Chapter 5: Genetics and regulation of EPS formation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

5.1 Introduction

5.1.1 Biofilm formation by Pseudomonas aeruginosa

5.2 PSL (Polysaccharide Synthesis Locus)

5.2.1 Psl composition and structure

5.2.2 Psl synthesis

5.2.3 Transcriptional regulation of Psl

5.2.4 Post-transcriptional regulation of Psl

5.3 PEL (Pellicle Formation)

5.3.1 Pel composition and structure

5.3.2 Pel synthesis

5.3.3 Transcriptional regulation of Pel

5.3.4 Post-transcriptional regulation of Pel

5.4 Alginate

5.4.1 Alginate composition and structure

5.4.2 Alginate synthesis.

5.4.3 Transcriptional regulation of alginate

5.4.4 Post-transcriptional regulation of alginate

5.5 Conclusions and Perspectives

Chapter 6: Amyloids - a neglected child of the slime

6.1 Introduction

6.2 Visualization of Amyloids and their Abundance in Biofilms

6.3 Only a Few Functional Amyloids have been Characterized

6.3.1 Curli fimbriae

6.3.1.1 Biological role

6.3.1.2 Biogenesis

6.3.1.3 Biotechnological applications

6.3.2 Functional amyloids of Pseudomonas (Fap)

6.3.2.1 Biological role

6.3.2.2 Biogenesis

6.3.3 TasA from Bacillus

6.3.3.1 Biological role

6.3.3.2 Biogenesis

6.3.4 Other EPS-associated functional amyloids

6.4 Isolation and Characterization of Functional Amyloids

6.5 Concluding Remark

Chapter 7: Bacterial exopolysaccharides from unusual environments and their applications

7.1 Introduction

7.2 EPS from Deep Sea Hydrothermal Vents

7.3 EPS from Cold Environments

7.4 EPS from Microbial Mats

7.5 Biomedial Applications of EPS

7.6 EPS as Antibiofilm Agent

7.7 EPS as Biodetoxifiers

7.8 EPS and….. Black Pearls

7.9 EPS in EOR/MEOR

7.10 EPS in Cosmetics

7.11 Conclusions

Chapter 8: Mechanical properties of Biofilms

8.1 Introduction

8.2 Mechanical Background

8.2.1 Hookean solids and newtonian fluids

8.2.2 Non-linear behaviour

8.2.3 Viscoelasticity

8.2.4 Rheology of viscoelastic materials

8.2.4.1 Creep and relaxation tests

8.2.4.2 Dynamic test

8.2.4.3 Modelling viscoelasticity

8.3 Biofilm Mechanics

8.3.1 Macrorheological studies

8.3.2 Microrehological studies

8.4 Biofilm Detachment

8.5 Material Modelling of Biofilm Mechanics

8.6 ARE Biofilm Mechanics and Function Correlated?

Acknowledgments

References.

Chapter 9: Travelling through slime - bacterial movements in the EPS matrix

9.1 Introduction: Bacterial Movements Involved in the Biofilm Life-Cycle

9.2 Existence of Flagella Propelled Motile Bacterial Subpopulations in the EPS Matrix

9.3 Exploitation of Bacterial Motility in Biofilm Control

9.3.1 Enhanced biocide action

9.3.2 Delivery of antibacterials

9.3.2.1 Targeting cell viability within biofilms

9.3.2.2 Targeting matrix integrity within biofilms

9.4 Future Lines of Investigations

Chapter 10: Why and how biofilms cause biofouling - the "hair-in-sink"-effect

10.1 Introduction

10.2 Materials and Methods

10.2.1 Experimental set-up

10.2.2 Feed water

10.2.3 Optical coherence tomography (OCT)

10.2.4 Biofilm thickness

10.3 Results

10.3.1 Biofouling layer formation: filtration or biofilm growth?

10.3.2 Impact of permeate flux change on biofilm hydraulic resistance and thickness?

10.3.3 Understanding the reason of hydraulic resistance of biofilms: Model for the mechanism of water permeation

10.4 Discussion

Chapter 11: Unique and baffling aspects of the matrix: EPS syneresis and glass formation during desiccation

11.1 Introduction

11.2 The Challenge of Desiccation

11.2.1 Desiccation at the level of cells and individual molecules

11.2.2 EPS and hydration-maintenance

11.3 Microbial Mats: An EPS-Macrostructure Having Microscale Architecture

11.3.1 Mat systems

11.3.1.1 An EPS-based analog of Earth's earliest life

11.3.2 Present-day mats

11.3.2.1 Anhydrophilic hypersaline environments

11.3.2.2 Higher-salinity, syneresis and development of EPS hydrophobic-skin

11.3.2.3 Desiccation protection by EPS glass formation.

11.3.2.4 Rehydration and rapid resumption of activities

11.4 Conclusions

Chapter 12: Extracellular factors involved in biofilm matrix formation by Rhizobia

12.1 Overview of Rhizobia and their Symbiotic Relation with Legumes

12.2 Rhizobial Biofilm Formation

12.3 Rhizobial Components of the Biofilm Matrix

12.3.1 Rhizobial extracellular polysaccharides

12.3.1.1 Exopolysaccharides

12.3.1.2 Capsular polysaccharides

12.3.1.3 Lipopolysaccharide

12.3.1.4 Glucomannan

12.3.1.5 Cellulose

12.3.2 Extracellular proteins

12.3.2.1 Adhesins

12.3.2.2 Lectins

12.3.2.3 Glycanases

12.3.3 Nod factors

12.3.4 Flagella

12.4 Concluding Remarks

Chapter 13: Transparent exopolymeric particles: an important EPS component in seawater

13.1 Introduction

13.2 Sources and Distributions of TEP in the Ocean

13.2.1 Sources

13.2.2 Distribution in the water column

13.2.3 Enrichment of TEP at the sea surface

13.2.4 TEP in sea ice

13.3 Role of TEP in the Marine Microbial Loop

13.3.1 TEP and bacteria

13.3.2 TEP and microbial eukaryotes

13.3.3 TEP and zooplankton

13.3.4 TEP and viruses

13.4 Conclusions

Acknowledgement

Chapter 14: Snapshots of fungal extracellular matrices

14.1 Summary

14.2 The Diverse Matrix of Biofilms

14.3 Fungal Cell Wall and Beyond

14.3.1 Polysaccharides

14.3.1.1 a-Glucans

14.3.1.2 ß-glucans

14.3.1.3 Mannans: specific in yeasts

14.4 Diverse Functions of Fungal EPS

14.4.1 Natural functions and their applications

14.4.2 EPS support interactions with solid substrates including minerals

14.4.3 Function of EPS in yeasts and melanised yeast-like fungi

14.4.3.1 Capsule-forming fungi: Cryptococcus species.

14.5 Non-Polysaccharide Conpounds in the Extracellular Matrix.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references at the end of each chapters and index.

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (ebrary, viewed November 24, 2016).

ISBN:

9781780407425

1780407424

OCLC:

960788734