TY - JOUR

T1 - Coexistence facilitates interspecific biofilm formation in complex microbial communities

AU - Madsen, Jonas Stenløkke

AU - Røder, Henriette Lyng

AU - Russel, Jakob

AU - Sørensen, Helle

AU - Burmølle, Mette

AU - Sørensen, Søren Johannes

N1 - © 2016 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

PY - 2016

Y1 - 2016

N2 - Social interactions in which bacteria respond to one another by modifying their phenotype are central determinants of microbial communities. It is known that interspecific interactions influence the biofilm phenotype of bacteria; a phenotype that is central to the fitness of bacteria. However, the underlying role of fundamental ecological factors, specifically coexistence and phylogenetic history, in biofilm formation remains unclear. This study examines how social interactions affect biofilm formation in multi-species co-cultures from five diverse environments. We found prevalence of increased biofilm formation among co-cultured bacteria that have coexisted in their original environment. Conversely, when randomly co-culturing bacteria across these five consortia, we found less biofilm induction and a prevalence of biofilm reduction. Reduction in biofilm formation was even more predominant when co-culturing bacteria from environments where long-term coexistence was unlikely to have occurred. Phylogenetic diversity was not found to be a strong underlying factor but a relation between biofilm induction and phylogenetic history was found. The data indicates that biofilm reduction is typically correlated with an increase in planktonic cell numbers, thus implying a behavioral response rather than mere growth competition. Our findings suggest that an increase in biofilm formation is a common adaptive response to long-term coexistence.

AB - Social interactions in which bacteria respond to one another by modifying their phenotype are central determinants of microbial communities. It is known that interspecific interactions influence the biofilm phenotype of bacteria; a phenotype that is central to the fitness of bacteria. However, the underlying role of fundamental ecological factors, specifically coexistence and phylogenetic history, in biofilm formation remains unclear. This study examines how social interactions affect biofilm formation in multi-species co-cultures from five diverse environments. We found prevalence of increased biofilm formation among co-cultured bacteria that have coexisted in their original environment. Conversely, when randomly co-culturing bacteria across these five consortia, we found less biofilm induction and a prevalence of biofilm reduction. Reduction in biofilm formation was even more predominant when co-culturing bacteria from environments where long-term coexistence was unlikely to have occurred. Phylogenetic diversity was not found to be a strong underlying factor but a relation between biofilm induction and phylogenetic history was found. The data indicates that biofilm reduction is typically correlated with an increase in planktonic cell numbers, thus implying a behavioral response rather than mere growth competition. Our findings suggest that an increase in biofilm formation is a common adaptive response to long-term coexistence.

U2 - 10.1111/1462-2920.13335

DO - 10.1111/1462-2920.13335

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 27119650

VL - 18

SP - 2565

EP - 2574

JO - Environmental Microbiology

JF - Environmental Microbiology

SN - 1462-2912

IS - 8

ER -