Insight to Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is well known nosocomial pathogen. It is recognized for hospital-related infections in immuno-compromised patients. P. aeruginosa has a plastic genome known for developing faster multidrug-resistant strains. P. aeruginosa is identified for transiting lifestyle from free-swimming to encapsulated sessile biofilms. This bacterium is notorious to cause acute infection during free swimming lifestyle (planktonic). The infections may transit to chronic form which is difficult to treat. Chronic infections are generally represented by biofilm formation. P. aeruginosa causes device and non-device related biofilm-based infections. The problem arises when biofilm infection becomes antibiotic tolerant and resistant to immune response due to restricted penetration of antimicrobials. Thus, biofilm formation creates more problem during infection as it can become untreatable and more persistent. Therefore, a detailed study of biofilm biology is a necessity. In this review, we have described infections caused by P. aeruginosa biofilms, immune response against biofilms and antibiotic tolerance mechanisms. We have also discussed how in vitro biofilms are studied in lab. Further we have described composition of biofilm matrix and their sequential formation. In addition, P. aeruginosa biofilm formation is tightly regulated mainly by three ways- changing c-di-GMP level, two components signaling (GAC/RET/LAD) and quorum sensing (QS). This review gives insight to different aspect of P. aeruginosa biofilms, one of the topmost model organism studied in infection biology.