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Effects of chelating agent and environmental stresses on microbial biofilms: relevance to clinical microbiology
Author(s) -
AlAzemi A.,
Fielder M.D.,
Abuknesha R.A.,
Price R.G.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
journal of applied microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.889
H-Index - 156
eISSN - 1365-2672
pISSN - 1364-5072
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2672.2011.04983.x
Subject(s) - biofilm , ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid , microbiology and biotechnology , chelation , desiccation , chemistry , bacteria , biology , botany , inorganic chemistry , genetics
Abstract Aims: To determine the effect of pH, temperature, desiccation, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and desferrioxamine B (DFO) on Panton‐Valentine leukocidin‐positive community acquired methicillin‐susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (PVL +ve CA‐MSSA) biofilm formation. Methods and Results: Biofilms from PVL +ve CA‐MSSA (clinical isolate) were subjected to pH, temperature, desiccation, EDTA and DFO. PVL +ve CA‐MSSA were more resistant to pH and heat than their planktonic equivalents. Desiccation studies demonstrated that PVL +ve CA‐MSSA biofilms were more refractory to the treatment than planktonic cells. Significant inhibition of PVL +ve CA‐MSSA biofilm formation was observed in the presence of 1 mmol l −1 EDTA. Low concentrations (2·5 μmol l −1 ) of DFO enhanced the growth of PVL +ve CA‐MSSA biofilms. At higher concentrations (1 mmol l −1 ), DFO did inhibit the growth but not as much as EDTA. A combination of EDTA and DFO inhibited PVL +ve CA‐MSSA biofilm formation at lower concentrations than either alone. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that PVL +ve CA‐MSSA biofilms are resistant to environmental stress but their growth can inhibited effectively by a mixture of EDTA and DFO. Significance and Impact of the Study: The inhibition of biofilm formation by PVL +ve CA‐MSSA using chelating agents has not been previously reported and provides a practical approach to achieve the disruption of these potentially important biofilms formed by an emerging pathogen.