Search for a Shared Genetic or Biochemical Basis for Biofilm Tolerance to Antibiotics across Bacterial Species

Abstract

Is there a universal genetically programmed defense providing tolerance to antibiotics when bacteria grow as biofilms? A comparison between biofilms of three different bacterial species by transcriptomic and metabolomic approaches uncovered no evidence of one. Single-species biofilms of three bacterial species ( Pseudomonas aeruginosa , Staphylococcus aureus , and Acinetobacter baumannii ) were grown in vitro for 3 days and then challenged with respective antibiotics (ciprofloxacin, daptomycin, and tigecycline) for an additional 24 h.