# Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilm Lifecycle: Involvement of Mechanical Constraints and Timeline of Matrix Production

## TL;DR

This review explains how Pseudomonas aeruginosa forms and maintains biofilms, which help it survive in hostile environments and cause chronic infections.

## Contribution

The paper highlights the role of mechanical constraints and matrix production timing in the biofilm lifecycle of P. aeruginosa.

## Key findings

- Mechanical constraints influence the development and structure of P. aeruginosa biofilms.
- Extracellular appendages and matrix production kinetics are critical during each stage of the biofilm lifecycle.
- Biofilm formation enables P. aeruginosa to resist antimicrobial treatments and persist in chronic infections.

## Abstract

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen causing acute and chronic infections, especially in immunocompromised patients. Its remarkable adaptability and resistance to various antimicrobial treatments make it difficult to eradicate. Its persistence is enabled by its ability to form a biofilm. Biofilm is a community of sessile micro-organisms in a self-produced extracellular matrix, which forms a scaffold facilitating cohesion, cell attachment, and micro- and macro-colony formation. This lifestyle provides protection against environmental stresses, the immune system, and antimicrobial treatments, and confers the capacity for colonization and long-term persistence, often characterizing chronic infections. In this review, we retrace the events of the life cycle of P. aeruginosa biofilm, from surface perception/contact to cell spreading. We focus on the importance of extracellular appendages, mechanical constraints, and the kinetics of matrix component production in each step of the biofilm life cycle.