Suicide and Fratricide in Bacterial Biofilms

2009 ◽  
Vol 32 (9) ◽  
pp. 537-544 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vinai Chittezham Thomas ◽  
Lynn E. Hancock

Bacterial autolysis has recently been identified as a key mechanism that regulates different phases of biofilm development including microcolony formation and dispersal. However such autolytic measures are limited to a subfraction of cells within the entire biofilm population. Here we speculate on the role biofilm heterogeneity plays in limiting autolysis within biofilms and further describe the molecular regulation of suicidal and fratricidal mechanisms in biofilm development of Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecalis.

Author(s):  
Karlynne Freire Mendonça ◽  
José Klauber Roger Carneiro ◽  
Maria Auxiliadora Silva Oliveira

Objetivos: avaliar a atividade antimicrobiana em extrato aquoso, hidroalcoólico e alcoólico das folhas de espécies da família Lamiaceae frente a bactérias de interesse. Método: Foram escolhidas quatro espécies: Ocimum gratissimum, Plectranthus amboinicus, Mentha arvensis e Plectranthus barbatus. A partir das folhas foram confeccionados os extratos aquoso, hidroalcoólico e alcoólico nas concentrações 100mg/mL, 50mg/mL e 25mg/mL. Foram selecionadas as bactérias Streptococcus pyogenes, Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus e Pseudomonas aeruginosa para os ensaios de antibiose em Ágar Mueller-Hinton. Resultados: P. barbatus, em seu extrato hidroalcoólico mostrou ativo nas três concentrações para bactéria S. aureus, e ainda foi ativo para P. aeruginosa, demonstrando no extrato alcoólico atividade frente as bactérias. Para M. arvensis e P. amboinicus, seus extratos hidroalcoólico e alcoólico apresentaram atividade para S. aureus. Conclusão: Sugere-se que as espécies em questão apresentem boa atividade antimicrobiana, sendo necessária a realização de mais estudos para melhor entender esse mecanismo.


2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 262-274
Author(s):  
E. Benyagoub ◽  
N. Nabbou ◽  
S. Boukhalkhel ◽  
I. Dehini

The medicinal value of the plants is due to their chemical components that bring a definite physiological action on the human body to prevent the diseases. In this work, we investigated the antimicrobial activity of leaves’ extracts of Quercus robur L., collected from the Algerian upper highlands, on ten bacterial strains and one fungal strain known to be pathogenic. First, we performed a qualitative phytochemical analysis, and second, antimicrobial activity tests performed by agar diffusion method (disc and well) with the determination of MIC by broth macro-dilution method. Given the results, it appears that obtained macerates of Quercus robur L. were rich in bioactive phytoconstituents such as alkaloids, anthraquinones, saponins, tannins, and other components. The yield of aqueous and methanolic macerates of leaves was 8.5 ± 1.41 and 22.4 ± 4.36%, respectively. The bacterial resistance was relatively important to several antibiotics, namely, ampicillin, amoxicillin + clavulanic acid for strains of Escherichia coli and Salmonella sp. However, Staphylococcus aureus strains were resistant to fusidic acid, penicillin, and oxacillin; while Enterococcus faecalis was resistant to fusidic acid, penicillin, oxacillin, and ticarcillin. The antibacterial activity of the macerates toward tested microbial strains showed that the aqueous and methanolic macerates of the leaves were proportional to the tested concentration and active not only against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria but also on the fungal species Candida albicans. The estimated MIC for Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis, and Staphylococcus aureus was in the order of 10 mg/mL, which seems more effective than toward Salmonella sp., Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Candida albicans which were in the order of 30 mg/mL. These preliminary results confirm that the part of the studied plant had a very good antimicrobial activity that was proportional to the serial concentrations of the tested extracts.


2020 ◽  
Vol 202 (18) ◽  
Author(s):  
Giulia Orazi ◽  
Fabrice Jean-Pierre ◽  
George A. O’Toole

ABSTRACT The thick mucus within the airways of individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF) promotes frequent respiratory infections that are often polymicrobial. Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus are two of the most prevalent pathogens that cause CF pulmonary infections, and both are among the most common etiologic agents of chronic wound infections. Furthermore, the ability of P. aeruginosa and S. aureus to form biofilms promotes the establishment of chronic infections that are often difficult to eradicate using antimicrobial agents. In this study, we found that multiple LasR-regulated exoproducts of P. aeruginosa, including 2-heptyl-4-hydroxyquinoline N-oxide (HQNO), siderophores, phenazines, and rhamnolipids, likely contribute to the ability of P. aeruginosa PA14 to shift S. aureus Newman norfloxacin susceptibility profiles. Here, we observe that exposure to P. aeruginosa exoproducts leads to an increase in intracellular norfloxacin accumulation by S. aureus. We previously showed that P. aeruginosa supernatant dissipates the S. aureus membrane potential, and furthermore, depletion of the S. aureus proton motive force recapitulates the effect of the P. aeruginosa PA14 supernatant on shifting norfloxacin sensitivity profiles of biofilm-grown S. aureus Newman. From these results, we hypothesize that exposure to P. aeruginosa PA14 exoproducts leads to increased uptake of the drug and/or an impaired ability of S. aureus Newman to efflux norfloxacin. Surprisingly, the effect observed here of P. aeruginosa PA14 exoproducts on S. aureus Newman susceptibility to norfloxacin seemed to be specific to these strains and this antibiotic. Our results illustrate that microbially derived products can alter the ability of antimicrobial agents to kill bacterial biofilms. IMPORTANCE Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus are frequently coisolated from multiple infection sites, including the lungs of individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF) and nonhealing diabetic foot ulcers. Coinfection with P. aeruginosa and S. aureus has been shown to produce worse outcomes compared to infection with either organism alone. Furthermore, the ability of these pathogens to form biofilms enables them to cause persistent infection and withstand antimicrobial therapy. In this study, we found that P. aeruginosa-secreted products dramatically increase the ability of the antibiotic norfloxacin to kill S. aureus biofilms. Understanding how interspecies interactions alter the antibiotic susceptibility of bacterial biofilms may inform treatment decisions and inspire the development of new therapeutic strategies.


2001 ◽  
Vol 45 (12) ◽  
pp. 3524-3530 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christoph K. Naber ◽  
Michaela Hammer ◽  
Martina Kinzig-Schippers ◽  
Christian Sauber ◽  
Fritz Sörgel ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT In a randomized crossover study, 16 volunteers (8 men, 8 women) received single oral doses of 320 mg of gemifloxacin and 400 mg of ofloxacin on two separate occasions in the fasting state to assess the urinary excretion and urinary bactericidal titers (UBTs) at intervals for up to 144 h. Ofloxacin showed higher concentrations in urine compared with those of gemifloxacin. The median (range) cumulative excretion of gemifloxacin was 29.7% (8.4 to 48.7%) of the parent drug administered, and median (range) cumulative excretion of ofloxacin was 84.3% (46.5 to 95.2%) of the parent drug administered. The UBTs, i.e., the highest twofold dilutions (with antibiotic-free urine as the diluent) of urine that were still bactericidal, were determined for a reference strain and nine uropathogens for which the MICs of gemifloxacin and ofloxacin were as follows:Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, 0.016 and 0.06 μg/ml, respectively; Klebsiella pneumoniae, 0.03 and 0.06 μg/ml, respectively; Proteus mirabilis, 0.125 and 0.125 μg/ml, respectively; Escherichia coli, 0.06 and 0.5 μg/ml, respectively; Pseudomonas aeruginosa, 1 and 4 μg/ml, respectively; Staphylococcus aureus, 0.008 and 0.25 μg/ml, respectively; Enterococcus faecalis, 0.06 and 2 μg/ml, respectively;Staphylococcus aureus, 0.25 and 4 μg/ml, respectively;Enterococcus faecalis, 0.5 and 32 μg/ml, respectively; and Staphylococcus aureus, 2 and 32 μg/ml, respectively. Generally, the UBTs for gram-positive uropathogens were higher for gemifloxacin than for ofloxacin and the UBTs for gram-negative uropathogens were higher for ofloxacin than for gemifloxacin. According to the UBTs, ofloxacin-resistant uropathogens (MICs, ≥4 mg/liter) should also be considered gemifloxacin resistant. Although clinical trials have shown that gemifloxacin is effective for the treatment of uncomplicated urinary tract infections, whether an oral dosage of 320 mg of gemifloxacin once daily is also adequate for the treatment of complicated urinary tract infections has yet to be confirmed.


Antibiotics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 594
Author(s):  
Sydney E. Schnur ◽  
Raghavendra G. Amachawadi ◽  
Giovanna Baca ◽  
Sarah Sexton-Bowser ◽  
Davina H. Rhodes ◽  
...  

Antimicrobial resistance in bacterial pathogens associated with bovine mastitis and human foodborne illnesses from contaminated food and water have an impact on animal and human health. Phenolic compounds have antimicrobial properties and some specialty sorghum grains are high in phenolic compounds, and the grain extract may have the potential as a natural antimicrobial alternative. The study’s objective was to determine antimicrobial effects of sorghum phenolic extract on bacterial pathogens that cause bovine mastitis and human foodborne illnesses. Bacterial pathogens tested included Escherichia coli, Salmonella Typhimurium, Campylobacter jejuni, Campylobacter coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Klebsiella oxytoca, Staphylococcus aureus, and Enterococcus faecalis. Antibacterial activities of sorghum phenolic extracts were determined by agar-well diffusion assay. Sorghum phenolic extract was added to the wells in concentrations of 0, 100, 200, 500, 1000, or 4000 µg/mL. The control wells did not receive phenolic extract. Plates were incubated for 18–24 h, and the diameter of each zone of inhibition was measured. The results indicated that sorghum phenolic extract had inhibitory effects on Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Campylobacter jejuni, and Campylobacter coli.


Molecules ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (12) ◽  
pp. 3195 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yingyu Wang ◽  
Xiaowei Li ◽  
Yang Wang ◽  
Stefan Schwarz ◽  
Jianzhong Shen ◽  
...  

The optrA gene, which confers transferable resistance to oxazolidinones and phenicols, is defined as an ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter but lacks transmembrane domains. The resistance mechanism of optrA and whether it involves antibiotic efflux or ribosomal protection remain unclear. In this study, we determined the MIC values of all bacterial strains by broth microdilution, and used ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem quadrupole mass spectrometry to quantitatively determine the intracellular concentrations of linezolid and florfenicol in Enterococcus faecalis and Staphylococcus aureus. Linezolid and florfenicol both accumulated in susceptible strains and optrA-carrying strains of E. faecalis and S. aureus. No significant differences were observed in the patterns of drug accumulation among E. faecalis JH2-2, E. faecalis JH2-2/pAM401, and E. faecalis JH2-2/pAM401+optrA, but also among S. aureus RN4220, S. aureus RN4220/pAM401, and S. aureus RN4220/pAM401+optrA. ANOVA scores also suggested similar accumulation conditions of the two target compounds in susceptible strains and optrA-carrying strains. Based on our findings, the mechanism of optrA-mediated resistance to oxazolidinones and phenicols obviously does not involve active efflux and the OptrA protein does not confer resistance via efflux like other ABC transporters.


2015 ◽  
Vol 17 (4 suppl 3) ◽  
pp. 1142-1149 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.A.L MIRANDA ◽  
J.A. ROCHA ◽  
K.M. ARAÚJO ◽  
P.V. QUELEMES ◽  
S.J. MAYO ◽  
...  

RESUMO O uso de plantas medicinais no tratamento de doenças é uma estratégia antiga utilizada por praticamente todas as populações do mundo, e, embora novos antibióticos tenham sido desenvolvidos para o controle de micro-organismos infecciosos, às vezes são ineficazes. Diversos extratos de plantas medicinais têm efeitos antimicrobianos, principalmente quando associados à antibióticos de uso clínico, representando alternativa terapêutica para doenças infecciosas. Montrichardia linifera, conhecida popularmente como aninga, é espécie macrófita, aquática emergente de hábito herbáceo, pertencente a família Araceae e ocorre em áreas alagáveis. A utilidade farmacológica desta espécie é diversificada tendo sido relatada como cicatrizante, antirreumático, antidiurético e expectorante. Devido à relevância no campo etnofarmacológico, ampla utilização na medicina popular e escassez de trabalhos relacionados à atividade antibacteriana desta espécie, objetivou-se com este trabalho avaliar a atividade antibacteriana de extratos alcoólicos de folhas de Montrichardia linifera, coletadas na margem do rio Igaraçu, Parnaíba-PI. O extrato foi testado em oito cepas de bactérias: Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae e Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Foram utilizadas as técnicas de verificação da formação de halos de inibição e determinação das concentrações inibitórias e bactericidas mínimas. Os testes antibacterianos evidenciaram como principais resultados que o extrato metanólico seco (EMS), extrato metanólico fresco (EMF), e o extrato etanólico seco (EES), apresentaram ação antibacteriana, enquanto o extrato etanólico fresco (EEF) não apresentou atividade para as bactérias testadas. O EMS foi o mais eficiente, inibindo o crescimento bacteriano na concentração de 200 μg/mL para E. faecalis, 400 μg/mL para S. aureus, 400 μg/mL para S. epidermidis e 2.000 μg/mL para P. aeruginosa. O EMF obteve CIM de 2.000 μg/mL para E. faecalis e EES obteve CIM de 250 μg/mL para E. faecalis. Os resultados demonstraram que M. linifera constitui fonte eficiente de compostos bioativos antibacterianos. Os estudos sobre as propriedades farmacológicas de plantas da família Araceae são escassos, e os resultados deste trabalho são pioneiros em relação a atividade antibacteriana desta espécie.


2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (31) ◽  
pp. 113-122
Author(s):  
Carla Franco Porto Belmont Souza ◽  
Luiz Eduardo Souza da Silva Irineu ◽  
Renan Silva De Souza ◽  
Renato da Silva Teixeira ◽  
Ivina Sanches Pereira ◽  
...  

A resistência microbiana tem se mostrado um problema de proporções mundiais, causando estado de morbidade e mortalidade em diversos pacientes. Em vista disso, tem crescido a busca por métodos alternativos naturais de profilaxia. A investigação clínica sugere que o Extrato de Cranberry está entre as melhores propostas de prevenção natural. O Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) é um fruto que tem crescido comercialmente pelo sabor e propriedades benéficas à saúde. Dentre as formas comercializadas estão: o suco, o chá e as cápsulas contendo o extrato seco. A ação desta planta está relacionada ao tratamento de doenças do trato urinário, por possuir substâncias que inibem a adesão bacteriana ao epitélio do trato urinário, dificultando sua proliferação e reprodução. Dentre todas as infecções relacionadas à assistência a saúde, a Infecção do Trato Urinário é a mais frequentemente associada a procedimentos invasivos. Se não for tratada, pode resultar em complicações como pielonefrite aguda, bacteremia e pionefrose. Portanto, cranberry pode ser uma nova alternativa para o combate das infecções uroepiteliais, por ser um produto natural de preço acessível, e com formas de comercialização diversificada, ao contrário dos antimicrobianos convencionais, que por sua vez são caros e podem acabar causando resistência nos micro-organismos. Este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar in vitro a atividade antimicrobiana do extrato de Cranberry, adquirido em farmácia de manipulação, sobre 8 micro-organismos isolados de infecções urinárias. As cepas utilizadas, adquiridas da coleção da FIOCRUZ, foram: Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus mirabilis, Serratia marscecens, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis e Enterococcus faecium. No estudo, foram utilizados o caldo Mueller Hinton (MH), Extrato de Cranberry e as bactérias patogênicas. O ensaio foi realizado em triplicata, com o uso de um controle de crescimento dos micro-organismos e o experimento para avaliação do crescimento bacteriano na presença do extrato. A turbidez foi medida com o auxílio de um espectrofotômetro, no comprimento de onda de 600 nm, antes e após 24 horas de incubação à 37 ºC. O procedimento forneceu a Densidade Ótica, do qual possibilitou a identificação da inibição microbiana. Para análise estatística foi utilizado o Teste t de Student. O Extrato de Cranberry apresentou atividade antimicrobiana sobre as bactérias Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Serratia marscecens e Enterococcus faecalis (p < 0,05), confirmando seu efeito benéfico em infecções urinárias. No entanto, não teve efeito inibitório significativo sobre Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus mirabilis e Enterococcus faecium (p > 0,05).


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