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Electron and light microscopic observations of bacterial cell surface effects due to taurolidine treatment
Author(s) -
GORMAN S. P.,
MCCAFFERTY D. F.,
WOOLFSON A. D.,
JONES D. S.
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
letters in applied microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.698
H-Index - 110
eISSN - 1472-765X
pISSN - 0266-8254
DOI - 10.1111/j.1472-765x.1987.tb01593.x
Subject(s) - flagellate , fimbria , microbiology and biotechnology , escherichia coli , strain (injury) , cell wall , flagellum , cell , cell division , electron microscope , chemistry , bacteria , biology , biophysics , biochemistry , botany , anatomy , gene , genetics , physics , optics
Electron microscopy was employed to examine the outer surface structures of a laboratory strain (NCTC 9012), a K88a strain (NCTC 10964) and a urine clinical isolate of Escherichia coli . These were found to be, respectively: non‐fimbriate, flagellate; fimbriate, non‐flagellate; and fimbriate, flagellate. The effect of the antiadherent antimicrobial agent, taurolidine, on these structures was concentration and time‐dependent. Cells grown in the presence of sub‐inhibitory concentrations of taurolidine lose the ability to complete cell division and appeared filamentous. A higher concentration (2%) of taurolidine appeared to cause fimbriae, though not flagella, to become more compressed onto the cell surface. After 60 min contact with taurolidine fimbriae were not apparent on the cells. The anti‐adherent capacity of taurolidine is assumed, in part, to be mediated via a chemical or physical modification of the fimbriae.