Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 5, 2026

09:39
A Platform of Anti-biofilm Assays Suited to the Exploration of Natural Compound Libraries
Published on: December 27, 2016
Incorporation of secretory immunoglobulin A into biofilms can decrease their resistance to ciprofloxacin.
Yu-Huei Lee1, Kuei-Ying Su, Aaron Wyse
1Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA.
Microbiology and Immunology
|January 6, 2011
Summary
Symbiotic biofilms incorporating host molecules like secretory IgA (SIgA) may show reduced antibiotic resistance. This contrasts with planktonic bacteria, where SIgA can increase resistance, impacting medical and biological understanding.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Biochemistry
- Medical Science
Background:
- Bacterial biofilms on inert surfaces produce their own extracellular matrices.
- Symbiotic biofilms utilize host-derived macromolecules in their extracellular matrices.
- Host molecules can significantly influence symbiotic biofilm antibiotic resistance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of host-derived molecules on biofilm antibiotic sensitivity.
- To evaluate ciprofloxacin's efficacy against biofilms with and without secretory IgA (SIgA).
Main Methods:
- An in vitro model was employed.
- Biofilms of Escherichia coli were grown with and without SIgA.
- Antibiotic susceptibility to ciprofloxacin was assessed.
Main Results:
- Five of six E. coli strains showed decreased ciprofloxacin resistance when SIgA was incorporated into biofilms.
- SIgA generally increased planktonic bacteria's resistance to ciprofloxacin.
- SIgA-mediated bacterial aggregation may contribute to increased planktonic resistance.
Conclusions:
- Host-derived molecules in symbiotic biofilm matrices can alter biofilm properties.
- Incorporation of SIgA into extracellular matrices may reduce biofilm resistance to antibiotics.
- Findings have implications for understanding symbiotic biofilms in medicine and biology.
Related Concept Videos
Biofilms
Biofilms are complex communities of microorganisms encased in a self-produced extracellular polysaccharide matrix attached to surfaces. These microbial consortia can include single or multiple species, providing enhanced survival benefits by forming organized, multilayered structures.The formation of biofilms occurs through four key stages: attachment, colonization, development, and dispersal.During attachment, free-swimming planktonic cells adhere to a surface, often facilitated by...
Inhibitors of Bacterial DNA Synthesis
Bacterial pathogens depend on precise and efficient DNA replication to sustain infection. Two type II topoisomerases—DNA gyrase and topoisomerase IV—are critical to this process, as they resolve DNA supercoiling and unlink chromosomes during replication. Fluoroquinolones, synthetic derivatives of quinolones, exploit this mechanism by stabilizing the transient DNA–enzyme cleavage complex, preventing strand religation, and causing lethal double-strand breaks. These antibiotics are selectively...
Surface Membrane Barriers
The skin and mucous membranes serve as the primary line of defense against pathogens by providing both physical and chemical protection. These barriers are essential in preventing the entry and establishment of microbes, thereby maintaining the integrity of the host.
The outer layer of the skin, the epidermis, is a robust barrier comprising layers of closely packed keratinized cells. This dense arrangement prevents microbes from penetrating the body. The periodic shedding of epidermal cells...
The outer layer of the skin, the epidermis, is a robust barrier comprising layers of closely packed keratinized cells. This dense arrangement prevents microbes from penetrating the body. The periodic shedding of epidermal cells...
Gene Regulation in Microbial Communities: Quorum Sensing
Quorum sensing is a mechanism of bacterial communication that enables coordinated gene expression in response to changes in population density. This facilitates collective behaviors that enhance survival, resource acquisition, and ecological adaptation. This process relies on small signaling molecules called autoinducers that accumulate as bacterial populations grow. When a critical threshold concentration of autoinducers is reached, bacterial cells collectively modify gene expression,...

