Electrical Signaling in Prokaryotic Biofilm Dynamics
Summary
Prokaryotic biofilms represent highly organised microbial communities in which cells are embedded within a self-produced matrix and adhere to surfaces ranging from living tissue to industrial equipment. Beyond chemical communication, electrical signalling has emerged as a key modality for coordinating collective behaviour in these communities. Biofilm cells generate and transmit membrane potential fluctuations through ion channels and pumps, creating spatiotemporal waves of depolarisation and hyperpolarisation. These electrical cues regulate nutrient uptake, metabolic synchrony and stress responses, and can delineate subpopulations with distinct growth rates or antibiotic tolerance. Studies in model organisms such as Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli have shown that extracellular potassium gradients underpin long-range electrical communication, linking local metabolic activity to global biofilm dynamics. Advanced microsensors and optical reporters now permit real-time mapping of bioelectric patterns, revealing how electrical signalling interfaces with gene regulation and enzymatic networks. This integrative perspective highlights electrical signalling as a universal language in microbial ecology, with implications for controlling biofilms in medical, industrial and environmental settings.
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Electrical Signaling in Prokaryotic Biofilm Dynamics publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in electrical signaling in prokaryotic biofilm dynamics across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Biofilm: A structured microbial community encased in an extracellular polymeric matrix and attached to a surface.
Membrane potential: The electrical voltage difference across a cell membrane, generated by ion concentration gradients.
Electrical signalling: The use of controlled changes in membrane potential and ion flux to transmit information within and between cells.
Ion channel: A membrane protein that selectively permits ions to cross the lipid bilayer in response to electrical or chemical stimuli.
Electrical impedance spectroscopy: A method that measures the frequency-dependent resistance and reactance of biological samples to characterise their electrical properties.
Hyperpolarisation/Depolarisation: An increase or decrease, respectively, in the magnitude of membrane potential relative to its resting state.
References
- Electrical Impedance Spectroscopy with Bacterial Biofilms: Neuronal-like Behavior. Nano Letters (2024).
- Collective polarization dynamics in bacterial colonies signify the occurrence of distinct subpopulations. PLOS Biology (2023).
- Electrically induced bacterial membrane-potential dynamics correspond to cellular proliferation capacity. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (2019).
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