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Biofilm Formation and Biosurfactant Activity in Plant-Associated Bacteria

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Book cover Bacterial Metabolites in Sustainable Agroecosystem

Part of the book series: Sustainable Development and Biodiversity ((SDEB,volume 12))

Abstract

Biofilms are structurally complex communities of microbial cells that adhere to a surface and are surrounded by an extracellular polymeric matrix. Biofilm formation plays important roles in attachment and colonization of plant surfaces by both beneficial bacteria (e.g. plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria) and phytopathogenic bacteria. During the process of biofilm development and maturation, surface-attached cells undergo aggregation to form microcolonies. Biosurfactants are produced by many plant-associated bacterial species and play essential roles in bacterial motility, signaling, biofilm formation and control of plant-bacteria interactions. In this chapter, we review the biochemical and genetic mechanisms that underlie biofilm formation and biosurfactant activity in beneficial (symbiotic) bacteria and phytopathogenic bacteria, particularly Pseudomonas species.

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Acknowledgments

This review and studies by the authors’ group described herein were supported by grants from the Secretaría de Ciencia y Técnica (UNRC), Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica (ANPCyT) and Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas of the República Argentina (CONICET). EDP and FR have a CONICET fellowship. WG is a Career Member of CONICET. The authors are grateful to Dr. S. Anderson for English editing of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Biología Molecular, Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto, Ruta 36 Km 601, X5804BYA, Río Cuarto, Córdoba, Argentina

    Emiliano D. Primo & Walter Giordano

  2. Departamento de Microbiología e Inmunología, Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto, Ruta 36 Km 601, X5804BYA, Río Cuarto, Córdoba, Argentina

    Francisco Ruiz

  3. Departamento de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto, Ruta 36 Km 601, X5804BYA, Río Cuarto, Córdoba, Argentina

    Oscar Masciarelli

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  1. Emiliano D. Primo
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  2. Francisco Ruiz
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  3. Oscar Masciarelli
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  4. Walter Giordano
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Correspondence to Walter Giordano .

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  1. Dept Botany & Microbiology, Gurukul Kangri University, Haridwar (Uttarakhand), India

    Dinesh K. Maheshwari

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Primo, E.D., Ruiz, F., Masciarelli, O., Giordano, W. (2015). Biofilm Formation and Biosurfactant Activity in Plant-Associated Bacteria. In: Maheshwari, D. (eds) Bacterial Metabolites in Sustainable Agroecosystem. Sustainable Development and Biodiversity, vol 12. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-24654-3_13

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