Cellulose effects on morphology and elasticity of Vibrio fischeri biofilms

Abstract

Bacteriology: Cellulose production by bacteria affects their growth patterns Different strains of the same bacterium show different sessile growth characteristics according to the amount of cellulose they produce. A team at Israel’s Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, headed by Moshe Herzberg, examined the growth of three strains of Vibrio fischeri (a bacterium found globally in marine environments) that produce different amounts of cellulose. The team found that cellulose production significantly affected the morphology of the resultant biofilm (bacteria sticking to one another and adhering to a surface). Increased cellulose production elevated the amount of extracellular DNA in the biofilm and reduced the size of the colony. The authors conclude that the morphological changes were due to cellulose and extracellular DNA increasing the biofilm’s stiffness and hampering the diffusion of nutrients and wastes into and out of the biofilm, thereby limiting the colony size.