Research progress in gene regulation of Escherichia coli biofilm formation

Abstract:

Escherichia coli, a facultative anaerobic, flagellated, Gram-negative rod bacterium commonly parasitic in the intestines of humans and animals, is one of the common zoonotic pathogens. E. coli is easy to form biofilms, which are special aggregates formed by bacterial cells attached to each other and encased with self-produced extracellular matrix. Biofilm formation is a major reason for the difficulty in curing bacterial infectious diseases in clinical practice. It not only helps bacteria evade the host defense system but also reduces or prevents drugs from working, thereby inducing biofilm-associated infections (BAIs). This review introduces the molecular mechanism of E. coli biofilm formation from the perspective of the gene regulatory system and related regulatory proteins and summarizes the strategies for the prevention and treatment of BAIs, providing references for finding appropriate drug targets and preventing BAIs.