據(jù)4月30日的《科學(xué)》雜志報(bào)道說(shuō),，人們淋浴處墻上的粘液,、牙齒上的菌斑以及在醫(yī)療儀器或醫(yī)院各表面上所形成的薄膜,，這些都是細(xì)菌性的生物薄膜，這些細(xì)菌群落在經(jīng)過(guò)擦洗甚或抗菌處理之后仍會(huì)持續(xù)存在,。
新的研究顯示,，至少有一種細(xì)菌（Bacillus subtilis，或譯：枯草芽孢桿菌 生物醫(yī)藥大辭典提供翻譯）所產(chǎn)生的氨基酸實(shí)際上可防止這些生物膜的形成,，并能夠觸發(fā)已經(jīng)存在的生物薄膜的分解。
隨著生物薄膜的老化,，其營(yíng)養(yǎng)供應(yīng)會(huì)下降,，排泄物會(huì)積聚，這時(shí)的細(xì)菌細(xì)胞如果回復(fù)到它們的個(gè)體自由移動(dòng)的狀態(tài)會(huì)對(duì)其更為有利,。 Ilana Kolodkin-Gal及其同僚發(fā)現(xiàn),，B. subtilis 這種細(xì)菌會(huì)分泌一種不同尋常的氨基酸（右旋氨基酸），該氨基酸可將它們從老化的群落中釋放出來(lái),。
據(jù)文章的作者披露,，許多細(xì)菌都可產(chǎn)生右旋氨基酸，這種氨基酸可能是一種廣泛存在的生物膜解體的信號(hào),。他們提出,，這些氨基酸也許可用作醫(yī)療或工業(yè)環(huán)境中的抗生物膜制劑。(生物谷Bioon.com)
生物谷推薦原文出處：
Science DOI: 10.1126/science.1188628
D-Amino Acids Trigger Biofilm Disassembly
Ilana Kolodkin-Gal,1 Diego Romero,2 Shugeng Cao,3 Jon Clardy,3 Roberto Kolter,2 Richard Losick1,*
Bacteria form communities known as biofilms, which disassemble over time. In our studies outlined here, we found that, before biofilm disassembly, Bacillus subtilis produced a factor that prevented biofilm formation and could break down existing biofilms. The factor was shown to be a mixture of D-leucine, D-methionine, D-tyrosine, and D-tryptophan that could act at nanomolar concentrations. D-Amino acid treatment caused the release of amyloid fibers that linked cells in the biofilm together. Mutants able to form biofilms in the presence of D-Amino acids contained alterations in a protein (YqxM) required for the formation and anchoring of the fibers to the cell. D-Amino acids also prevented biofilm formation by Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. D-amino acids are produced by many bacteria and, thus, may be a widespread signal for biofilm disassembly.
1 Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
2 Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
3 Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
