Pushing beyond the Envelope: the Potential Roles of OprF in Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilm Formation and Pathogenicity

Abstract

The ability of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to form biofilms, which are communities of cells encased in a self-produced extracellular matrix, protects the cells from antibiotics and the host immune response. While some biofilm matrix components, such as exopolysaccharides and extracellular DNA, are relatively well characterized, the extracellular matrix proteins remain understudied.