Hong, Yaoqin, Qin, Jilong, and Totsika, Makrina (2025) Not too rigid nor too wobbly: Defining an optimal membrane fluidity range essential for biofilm formation in Escherichia coli. mLife. (In Press)

Preview

PDF (Publisher Accepted Version) - Published Version Available under License Creative Commons Attribution. Download (1MB) | Preview

Abstract

Membrane fluidity plays a crucial role in bacterial fitness and adaptation to cope with rapid environmental changes. While high membrane fluidity promotes robust biofilm formation in Klebsiella pneumoniae, studies in several other species, including Salmonella enterica, suggest that biofilm formation is associated with reduced fluidity. This paradox may reflect the complex relationship between lipid composition and biofilm formation. Our findings demonstrated that both low and high extremes of lipid fluidity restrict biofilm formation. We propose that the required fluidity for biofilm growth, relative to that required for planktonic growth, may differ between species and is readily adjusted to fall within a “Goldilocks” range during lifestyle transitions.

Item ID:	86628
Item Type:	Article (Short Note)
ISSN:	2270-100X
Keywords:	biofilm, membrane fluidity, lipids
Copyright Information:	This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Date Deposited:	20 Aug 2025 00:24
Downloads:	Total: 4 Last 12 Months: 4
	More Statistics