Metabolic Co-dependence in Biofilms

Flashcards on Metabolic co-dependence gives rise to collective oscillations within biofilms lecture notes.

The conflict between protecting interior cells and nutrient consumption by peripheral cells.

What conflict is resolved through long-range metabolic co-dependence in Bacillus subtilis biofilms?

By coordinating competing metabolic demands in space and time.

What is one way that oscillations support population-level conflict resolution in biofilms?

Environmental stress conditions, such as nutrient limitation.

Under what conditions do biofilms typically form?

Severe nutrient limitation for interior cells.

What is detrimental to the colony regarding nutrient limitation for interior cells?

Oscillations in biofilm growth.

What observation was made in biofilm expansion despite constant media flow?

nasA

What gene's expression was measured to determine glutamine limitation?

Glutamate and ammonium

What is required for the synthesis of glutamine?

Growth of peripheral cells

What relies on ammonium produced within the biofilm?

The production of ammonium that can support peripheral cell growth.

What does glutamate starvation of the biofilm interior reduce?

It eliminates glutamate consumption, which increases glutamate availability and promotes growth of interior cells.

What happens when peripheral cells are killed in a biofilm?

quenched growth oscillations and resulted in high levels of cell death in the colony interior

What happens with GDH overexpression in the biofilm?

the overall viability of the biofilm.

What does periodic halting of peripheral cell growth due to extracellular ammonium limitation promote?

It offers an elegant solution that resolves the social conflict between cooperation (protection) and competition (starvation) through oscillations.

What is the role of metabolic co-dependence in biofilms?