Symbiotic Biofilms and Brain Neurochemistry_x000D_ _x000D_ RUSH

An overwhelming majority of known species of microorganisms form biofilms (i.e: spatially and metabolically structured communities embedded in the extracellular biopolymer matrix). Biofilm development is a complex multi-stage process involving reversible and, at a later stage, irreversible attachment of microbial cells to the substrate surface. Development also involves matrix formation, three-dimensional structuring of the whole community including the formation of mushroom- or pillar-shaped structures and, finally, the degradation of the biofilm and the dispersion of the cells involved. This book examines these processes in the example of microorganisms that interact with the animal or human organisms, playing the roles of symbionts or pathogens. Title page 4 Contents 6 Preface 8 Introduction 10 Basic Properties of Microbial Biofilms 12 Quorum Sensing and Microbial Biofilms 20 Symbiotic Microflora and Its Biofilms 24 Influence of Neurotransmitters on GI Microflora and Its Biofilms 28 Neurotransmitter Biosynthesis and Release by Microorganisms: Implications for Symbiotic Biofilms 42 Conclusion 48 References 50 Index 60 9781617614057 Nova Science Publishers, Inc