RT Journal Article
T1 Stenosis triggers spread of helical Pseudomonas biofilms in cylindrical flow systems
A1 Espeso, David R.
A1 Carpio Rodríguez, Ana María
A1 De Lorenzo, V.
AB Biofilms are multicellular bacterial structures that adhere to surfaces and often endow the bacterial population with tolerance to antibiotics and other environmental insults. Biofilms frequently colonize the tubing of medical devices through mechanisms that are poorly understood. Here we studied the helicoidal spread of Pseudomonas putida biofilms through cylindrical conduits of varied diameters in slow laminar flow regimes. Numerical simulations of such flows reveal vortical motion at stenoses and junctions, which enhances bacterial adhesion and fosters formation of filamentous structures. Formation of long, downstream-flowing bacterial threads that stem from narrowings and connections was detected experimentally, as predicted by our model. Accumulation of bacterial biomass makes the resulting filaments undergo a helical instability. These incipient helices then coarsened until constrained by the tubing walls, and spread along the whole tube length without obstructing the flow. A three-dimensional discrete filament model supports this coarsening mechanism and yields simulations of helix dynamics in accordance with our experimental observations. These findings describe an unanticipated mechanism for bacterial spreading in tubing networks which might be involved in some hospital-acquired infections and bacterial contamination of catheters.
PB Nature Publishing Group
SN 20452322
YR 2016
FD 2016
LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/24633
UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/24633
LA eng
NO Espeso, D. R., Carpio Rodríguez, A. M. y De Lorenzo, V. «Stenosis Triggers Spread of Helical Pseudomonas Biofilms in Cylindrical Flow Systems». Scientific Reports, vol. 6, n.o 1, junio de 2016, p. 27170. DOI.org (Crossref), https://doi.org/10.1038/srep27170.
NO Ministerio de Economía, Comercio y Empresa (España)
NO Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (España)
NO Comunidad de Madrid
DS Docta Complutense
RD 12 may 2025