scholarly journals Exposure of Escherichia coli ATCC 12806 to Sublethal Concentrations of Food-Grade Biocides Influences Its Ability To Form Biofilm, Resistance to Antimicrobials, and Ultrastructure

2013 ◽  
Vol 80 (4) ◽  
pp. 1268-1280 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosa Capita ◽  
Félix Riesco-Peláez ◽  
Alicia Alonso-Hernando ◽  
Carlos Alonso-Calleja

ABSTRACTEscherichia coliATCC 12806 was exposed to increasing subinhibitory concentrations of three biocides widely used in food industry facilities: trisodium phosphate (TSP), sodium nitrite (SNI), and sodium hypochlorite (SHY). The cultures exhibited an acquired tolerance to biocides (especially to SNI and SHY) after exposure to such compounds.E. coliproduced biofilms (as observed by confocal laser scanning microscopy) on polystyrene microtiter plates. Previous adaptation to SNI or SHY enhanced the formation of biofilms (with an increase in biovolume and surface coverage) both in the absence and in the presence (MIC/2) of such compounds. TSP reduced the ability ofE. colito produce biofilms. The concentration of suspended cells in the culture broth in contact with the polystyrene surfaces did not influence the biofilm structure. The increase in cell surface hydrophobicity (assessed by a test of microbial adhesion to solvents) after contact with SNI or SHY appeared to be associated with a strong capacity to form biofilms. Cultures exposed to biocides displayed a stable reduced susceptibility to a range of antibiotics (mainly aminoglycosides, cephalosporins, and quinolones) compared with cultures that were not exposed. SNI caused the greatest increase in resistances (14 antibiotics [48.3% of the total tested]) compared with TSP (1 antibiotic [3.4%]) and SHY (3 antibiotics [10.3%]). Adaptation to SHY involved changes in cell morphology (as observed by scanning electron microscopy) and ultrastructure (as observed by transmission electron microscopy) which allowed this bacterium to persist in the presence of severe SHY challenges. The findings of the present study suggest that the use of biocides at subinhibitory concentrations could represent a public health risk.

2011 ◽  
Vol 77 (9) ◽  
pp. 3017-3022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yury Shamis ◽  
Alex Taube ◽  
Natasa Mitik-Dineva ◽  
Rodney Croft ◽  
Russell J. Crawford ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTThe present study investigated the effects of microwave (MW) radiation applied under a sublethal temperature onEscherichia coli. The experiments were conducted at a frequency of 18 GHz and at a temperature below 40°C to avoid the thermal degradation of bacterial cells during exposure. The absorbed power was calculated to be 1,500 kW/m3, and the electric field was determined to be 300 V/m. Both values were theoretically confirmed using CST Microwave Studio 3D Electromagnetic Simulation Software. As a negative control,E. colicells were also thermally heated to temperatures up to 40°C using Peltier plate heating. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis performed immediately after MW exposure revealed that theE. colicells exhibited a cell morphology significantly different from that of the negative controls. This MW effect, however, appeared to be temporary, as following a further 10-min elapsed period, the cell morphology appeared to revert to a state that was identical to that of the untreated controls. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) revealed that fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-conjugated dextran (150 kDa) was taken up by the MW-treated cells, suggesting that pores had formed within the cell membrane. Cell viability experiments revealed that the MW treatment was not bactericidal, since 88% of the cells were recovered after radiation. It is proposed that one of the effects of exposingE. colicells to MW radiation under sublethal temperature conditions is that the cell surface undergoes a modification that is electrokinetic in nature, resulting in a reversible MW-induced poration of the cell membrane.


2009 ◽  
Vol 53 (6) ◽  
pp. 2253-2258 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joe J. Harrison ◽  
William D. Wade ◽  
Sarah Akierman ◽  
Caterina Vacchi-Suzzi ◽  
Carol A. Stremick ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Escherichia coli is refractory to elevated doses of antibiotics when it is growing in a biofilm, and this is potentially due to high numbers of multidrug-tolerant persister cells in the surface-adherent population. Previously, the chromosomal toxin-antitoxin loci hipBA and relBE have been linked to the frequency at which persister cells occur in E. coli populations. In the present study, we focused on the dinJ-yafQ-encoded toxin-antitoxin system and hypothesized that deletion of the toxin gene yafQ might influence cell survival in antibiotic-exposed biofilms. By using confocal laser scanning microscopy and viable cell counting, it was determined that a ΔyafQ mutant produced biofilms with a structure and a cell density equivalent to those of the parental strain. In-depth susceptibility testing identified that relative to wild-type E. coli, the ΔyafQ strain had up to a ∼2,400-fold decrease in cell survival after the biofilms were exposed to bactericidal concentrations of cefazolin or tobramycin. Corresponding to these data, controlled overexpression of yafQ from a high-copy-number plasmid resulted in up to a ∼10,000-fold increase in the number of biofilm cells surviving exposure to these bactericidal drugs. In contrast, neither the inactivation nor the overexpression of yafQ affected the tolerance of biofilms to doxycycline or rifampin (rifampicin). Furthermore, deletion of yafQ did not affect the tolerance of stationary-phase planktonic cells to any of the antibacterials tested. These results suggest that yafQ mediates the tolerance of E. coli biofilms to multiple but specific antibiotics; moreover, our data imply that this cellular pathway for persistence is likely different from that of multidrug-tolerant cells in stationary-phase planktonic cell cultures.


2007 ◽  
Vol 73 (13) ◽  
pp. 4300-4307 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shuyu Hou ◽  
Erik A. Burton ◽  
Karen A. Simon ◽  
Dustin Blodgett ◽  
Yan-Yeung Luk ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Bacterial biofilms cause serious problems, such as antibiotic resistance and medical device-related infections. To further understand bacterium-surface interactions and to develop efficient control strategies, self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of alkanethiols presenting different functional groups on gold films were analyzed to determine their resistance to biofilm formation. Escherichia coli was labeled with green florescence protein, and its biofilm formation on SAM-modified surfaces was monitored by confocal laser scanning microscopy. The three-dimensional structures of biofilms were analyzed with the COMSTAT software to obtain information about biofilm thickness and surface coverage. SAMs presenting methyl, l-gulonamide (a sugar alcohol tethered with an amide bond), and tri(ethylene glycol) (TEG) groups were tested. Among these, the TEG-terminated SAM was the most resistant to E. coli biofilm formation; e.g., it repressed biofilm formation by E. coli DH5α by 99.5% ± 0.1% for 1 day compared to the biofilm formation on a bare gold surface. When surfaces were patterned with regions consisting of methyl-terminated SAMs surrounded by TEG-terminated SAMs, E. coli formed biofilms only on methyl-terminated patterns. Addition of TEG as a free molecule to growth medium at concentrations of 0.1 and 1.0% also inhibited biofilm formation, while TEG at concentrations up to 1.5% did not have any noticeable effects on cell growth. The results of this study suggest that the reduction in biofilm formation on surfaces modified with TEG-terminated SAMs is a result of multiple factors, including the solvent structure at the interface, the chemorepellent nature of TEG, and the inhibitory effect of TEG on cell motility.


2020 ◽  
Vol 64 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ye Jin ◽  
Yinjuan Guo ◽  
Qing Zhan ◽  
Yongpeng Shang ◽  
Di Qu ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Previous studies have shown that the administration of antibiotics at subinhibitory concentrations stimulates biofilm formation by the majority of multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains. Here, we investigated the effect of subinhibitory concentrations of mupirocin on biofilm formation by the community-associated (CA) mupirocin-sensitive MRSA strain USA300 and the highly mupirocin-resistant clinical S. aureus SA01 to SA05 isolates. We found that mupirocin increased the ability of MRSA cells to attach to surfaces and form biofilms. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) demonstrated that mupirocin treatment promoted thicker biofilm formation, which also correlated with the production of extracellular DNA (eDNA). Furthermore, quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) results revealed that this effect was largely due to the involvement of holin-like and antiholin-like proteins (encoded by the cidA gene), which are responsible for modulating cell death and lysis during biofilm development. We found that cidA expression levels significantly increased by 6.05- to 35.52-fold (P < 0.01) after mupirocin administration. We generated a cidA-deficient mutant of the USA300 S. aureus strain. Exposure of the ΔcidA mutant to mupirocin did not result in thicker biofilm formation than that in the parent strain. We therefore hypothesize that the mupirocin-induced stimulation of S. aureus biofilm formation may involve the upregulation of cidA.


2013 ◽  
Vol 79 (9) ◽  
pp. 3126-3128 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Boons ◽  
L. Mertens ◽  
E. Van Derlinden ◽  
C. C. David ◽  
J. Hofkens ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTIn a gelatin-dextran mixture, changing the (relative and/or absolute) concentration of the components leads to the formation of different microstructures. Confocal laser scanning microscopy illustrated that the nature of the microstructure determines the location and morphology ofEscherichia colicolonies. Observations indicate that bacterial growth preferentially occurs in the dextran phase, regardless of the microstructure.


Antibiotics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 966
Author(s):  
Fábio M. Carvalho ◽  
Rita Teixeira-Santos ◽  
Filipe J. M. Mergulhão ◽  
Luciana C. Gomes

Novel technologies to prevent biofilm formation on urinary tract devices (UTDs) are continually being developed, with the ultimate purpose of reducing the incidence of urinary infections. Probiotics have been described as having the ability to displace adhering uropathogens and inhibit microbial adhesion to UTD materials. This work aimed to evaluate the effect of pre-established Lactobacillus plantarum biofilms on the adhesion of Escherichia coli to medical-grade silicone. The optimal growth conditions of lactobacilli biofilms on silicone were first assessed in 12-well plates. Then, biofilms of L. plantarum were placed in contact with E. coli suspensions for up to 24 h under quasi-static conditions. Biofilm monitoring was performed by determining the number of culturable cells and by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). Results showed significant reductions of 76%, 77% and 99% in E. coli culturability after exposure to L. plantarum biofilms for 3, 6 and 12 h, respectively, corroborating the CLSM analysis. The interactions between microbial cell surfaces and the silicone surface with and without L. plantarum biofilms were also characterized using contact angle measurements, where E. coli was shown to be thermodynamically less prone to adhere to L. plantarum biofilms than to silicone. Thus, this study suggests the use of probiotic cells as potential antibiofilm agents for urinary tract applications.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shanshan Li ◽  
Wanshi Duan ◽  
Yujie Lei ◽  
Zhonghui Wang ◽  
Chaojiang Fu ◽  
...  

AbstractPatients receiving lipid emulsions are at increased risk of contracting catheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBSIs) in the clinic. More than 15% of CRBSIs are polymicrobial. The objective of this study was to explore the effects of lipid emulsions on the formation of Escherichia coli (E. coli)–Candida albicans (C. albicans) mixed-species biofilms (BFs) on polyvinyl chloride (PVC) surfaces and the underlying mechanism. Mixed-species BFs were produced by coculturing E. coli and C. albicans with PVC in various concentrations of lipid emulsions. Crystal violet staining and XTT assays were performed to test the mixed-species BF biomass and the viability of microbes in the BFs. The microstructures of the BFs were observed by an approach that combined confocal laser scanning microscopy, fluorescence in situ hybridization, and scanning electron microscopy. The study found that lipid emulsions could promote the formation of E. coli–C. albicans mixed-species BFs, especially with 10% lipid emulsions. The mechanism by which lipid emulsions promote mixed-species BF formation may involve significant upregulation of the expression of the flhDC, iha, HTA1, and HWP1 genes, which are associated with bacterial motility, adhesion, and BF formation. The results derived from this study necessitate strict aseptic precautions when handling lipid emulsions and avoiding the use of high concentrations of lipid emulsions for as long as possible.


Nanomaterials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 652
Author(s):  
Svetlana Vihodceva ◽  
Andris Šutka ◽  
Mariliis Sihtmäe ◽  
Merilin Rosenberg ◽  
Maarja Otsus ◽  
...  

In the current study, the antibacterial activity of positively and negatively charged spherical hematite (α-Fe2O3) nanoparticles (NPs) with primary size of 45 and 70 nm was evaluated against clinically relevant bacteria Escherichia coli (gram-negative) and Staphylococcus aureus (gram-positive) as well as against naturally bioluminescent bacteria Vibrio fischeri (an ecotoxicological model organism). α-Fe2O3 NPs were synthesized using a simple green hydrothermal method and the surface charge was altered via citrate coating. To minimize the interference of testing environment with NP’s physic-chemical properties, E. coli and S. aureus were exposed to NPs in deionized water for 30 min and 24 h, covering concentrations from 1 to 1000 mg/L. The growth inhibition was evaluated following the postexposure colony-forming ability of bacteria on toxicant-free agar plates. The positively charged α-Fe2O3 at concentrations from 100 mg/L upwards showed inhibitory activity towards E. coli already after 30 min of contact. Extending the exposure to 24 h caused total inhibition of growth at 100 mg/L. Bactericidal activity of positively charged hematite NPs against S. aureus was not observed up to 1000 mg/L. Differently from positively charged hematite NPs, negatively charged citrate-coated α-Fe2O3 NPs did not exhibit any antibacterial activity against E. coli and S. aureus even at 1000 mg/L. Confocal laser scanning microscopy and flow cytometer analysis showed that bacteria were more tightly associated with positively charged α-Fe2O3 NPs than with negatively charged citrate-coated α-Fe2O3 NPs. Moreover, the observed associations were more evident in the case of E. coli than S. aureus, being coherent with the toxicity results. Vibrio fischeri bioluminescence inhibition assays (exposure medium 2% NaCl) and colony forming ability on agar plates showed no (eco)toxicity of α-Fe2O3 (EC50 and MBC > 1000 mg/L).


Author(s):  
Nimisha Srivastava ◽  
Zeeshan Fatima ◽  
Chanchal Deep Kaur ◽  
Dilshad Ali Rizvi

Background: Dermatitis is a common inflammatory skin disease that is affecting up to 25% of children and 1%-3% of adults worldwide. Paucity of exact cure for dermatitis and untoward side effects of topical immunosuppressive steroids has resulted into a great need for making use of complementary medicine to treat dermatitis. Objective: The present research work involved the development of Berberine chloride dihydrate (BCD) enthused nanovesicles i.e. ethosomes for the management of dermatitis. Method: Ethosomes were prepared by slight modification of cold method using varying concentrations of SPC (1-3%) and ethanol (10-40%) Optimized batch BCD 12 was further added to Carbopol 934P for gel formation. GEL BCD 12 was subjected to “anti-bacterial, dermatitis and skin irritation study. Result: The vesicles were in size range 142.42-398.31 nm while polydispersity index (PDI) ranges from 0.114-1.56 and for zeta potential it was from-18.8 to -39.4. Entrapment efficiency was from 46.05-88.79 %. Confocal laser scanning microscopy showed penetration depth of rhodamine enthused ethosome across rat skin upto 110 µm which was significantly higher than rhodamine solution (10 µm). In the anti-bacterial study, BCD loaded ethosomal gel (EG) showed maximum zone of inhibition of 18.5 mm against E. coli, 14.5 mm against P. aeruginosa and 23.0 mm against S. aureus. In dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB) induced mice dermatitis model histopathology study showed marked decrease in amount of inflammatory cell nucleus in mice treated with BCD loaded ethosomal gel followed by 56% and 50 % increase in ear swelling and ear mass respectively in morphology study. Conventional marketed formulation showed nominal decrease in epidermal thickness, 66.67 % increase in ear thickness and 63.64 % increase in ear mass. Further Primary irritation index was less than 0.4 indicating negligible irritation in all the groups. Conclusion: It can be concluded that ethosomal gel is not only an efficient carrier for BCD but also proves its potential for the management of dermatitis.


Coatings ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 464
Author(s):  
Simona Liliana Iconaru ◽  
Mihai Valentin Predoi ◽  
Patrick Chapon ◽  
Sofia Gaiaschi ◽  
Krzysztof Rokosz ◽  
...  

In this study, the cerium-doped hydroxyapatite (Ca10−xCex(PO4)6(OH)2 with xCe = 0.1, 10Ce-HAp) coatings obtained by the spin coating method were presented for the first time. The stability of the 10Ce-HAp suspension particles used in the preparation of coatings was evaluated by ultrasonic studies, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The surface morphology of the 10Ce-HAp coating was studied by SEM and atomic force microscopy (AFM) techniques. The obtained 10Ce-HAp coatings were uniform and without cracks or unevenness. Glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy (GDOES) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used for the investigation of fine chemical depth profiling. The antifungal properties of the HAp and 10Ce-HAp suspensions and coatings were assessed using Candida albicans ATCC 10231 (C. albicans) fungal strain. The quantitative antifungal assays demonstrated that both 10Ce-HAp suspensions and coatings exhibited strong antifungal properties and that they successfully inhibited the development and adherence of C. albicans fungal cells for all the tested time intervals. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) visualization of the C. albicans fungal cells adherence to the 10Ce-HAp surface also demonstrated their strong inhibitory effects. In addition, the qualitative assays also suggested that the 10Ce-HAp coatings successfully stopped the biofilm formation.


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