Numerous bacteria naturally occur within spatially organised, multicellular communities called biofilms. Moreover, most bacterial infections proceed with biofilm formation, posing major challenges to human health. Within biofilms, bacterial cells are embedded in a primarily self-produced extracellular matrix, which is a defining feature of all biofilms. The biofilm matrix is a complex, viscous mixture primarily composed of polymeric substances such as polysaccharides, filamentous protein fibres, and extracellular DNA. The structured arrangement of the matrix bestows bacteria with beneficial emergent properties that are not displayed by planktonic cells, conferring protection against physical and chemical stresses, including antibiotic treatment. However, a lack of multi-scale information at the molecular level has prevented a better understanding of this matrix and its properties. Here, we review recent progress on the molecular characterisation of filamentous biofilm matrix components and their three-dimensional spatial organisation within biofilms.

中文翻译：

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丝状基质分子在塑造细菌生物膜的结构和新兴特性中的作用

许多细菌自然存在于空间组织的多细胞群落中，称为生物膜。此外，大多数细菌感染都会形成生物膜，对人类健康构成重大挑战。在生物膜内，细菌细胞嵌入主要自身产生的细胞外基质中，这是所有生物膜的一个决定性特征。生物膜基质是一种复杂的粘性混合物，主要由多糖、丝状蛋白纤维和细胞外 DNA 等聚合物组成。基质的结构化排列赋予细菌浮游细胞所不具备的有益的新兴特性，从而提供针对物理和化学应激的保护，包括抗生素治疗。然而，分子水平上多尺度信息的缺乏阻碍了对该矩阵及其性质的更好理解。在这里，我们回顾了丝状生物膜基质成分的分子表征及其在生物膜内的三维空间组织的最新进展。