https://orcid.org/0009-0009-9117-6442
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ABSTRACT
Bacterial biofilms have attracted significant attention due to their involvement in persistent infections, food and water contamination, and infrastructure corrosion. This review delves into the intricate interactions between bacterial biofilms and unicellular parasites, shedding light on their impact on biofilm formation, structure, and function. Unicellular parasites, including protozoa, influence bacterial biofilms through grazing activities, leading to adaptive changes in bacterial communities. Moreover, parasites like Leishmania and Giardia can shape biofilm composition in a grazing independent manner, potentially influencing disease outcomes. Biofilms, acting as reservoirs, enable the survival of protozoan parasites against environmental stressors and antimicrobial agents. Furthermore, these biofilms may influence parasite virulence and stress responses, posing challenges in disease treatment. Interactions between unicellular parasites and fungal-containing biofilms is also discussed, hinting at complex microbial relationships in various ecosystems. Understanding these interactions offers insights into disease mechanisms and antibiotic resistance dissemination, paving the way for innovative therapeutic strategies and ecosystem-level implications.
Acknowledgements
We are thankful to Dr. Kornitzer, the Faculty of Medicine at Technion, for generously providing the C. albicans strain used in our preliminary experiment investigating the interaction with E. histolytica.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Author contributions
All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
Data Availability statement
NR.