Abstract
BackgroundSecondary metabolites ranging from furanone to exo-polysaccharides have been suggested to have anti-biofilm activity in various recent studies. Among these, Escherichia coli group II capsular polysaccharides were shown to inhibit biofilm formation of a wide range of organisms and more recently marine Vibrio sp. were found to secrete complex exopolysaccharides having the potential for broad-spectrum biofilm inhibition and disruption.ResultsIn this study we report that a newly identified ca. 1800 kDa polysaccharide having simple monomeric units of α-D-galactopyranosyl-(1→2)-glycerol-phosphate exerts an anti-biofilm activity against a number of both pathogenic and non-pathogenic strains without bactericidal effects. This polysaccharide was extracted from a Bacillus licheniformis strain associated with the marine organism Spongia officinalis. The mechanism of action of this compound is most likely independent from quorum sensing, as its structure is unrelated to any of the so far known quorum sensing molecules. In our experiments we also found that treatment of abiotic surfaces with our polysaccharide reduced the initial adhesion and biofilm development of strains such as Escherichia coli PHL628 and Pseudomonas fluorescens.ConclusionThe polysaccharide isolated from sponge-associated B. licheniformis has several features that provide a tool for better exploration of novel anti-biofilm compounds. Inhibiting biofilm formation of a wide range of bacteria without affecting their growth appears to represent a special feature of the polysaccharide described in this report. Further research on such surface-active compounds might help developing new classes of anti-biofilm molecules with broad spectrum activity and more in general will allow exploring of new functions for bacterial polysaccharides in the environment.
Highlights
Secondary metabolites ranging from furanone to exo-polysaccharides have been suggested to have anti-biofilm activity in various recent studies
We show that an exo-polysaccharide purified from the culture supernatant of bacteria associated to a marine sponge (Spongia officinalis) is able to inhibit biofilm formation without affecting the growth of the tested strains
Bacillus licheniformis culture supernatant inhibits biofilm formation by Escherichia coli PHL628 Starting from a Spongia officinalis sample, it has been possible to distinguish, among one hundred colonies of sponge-associated bacteria, ten different kinds in terms of shape, size and pigmentation
Summary
Secondary metabolites ranging from furanone to exo-polysaccharides have been suggested to have anti-biofilm activity in various recent studies. Escherichia coli group II capsular polysaccharides were shown to inhibit biofilm formation of a wide range of organisms and more recently marine Vibrio sp. Most species of bacteria prefer biofilm as the most common means of growth in the environment and this kind of bacterial socialization has recently been described as a very successful form of life on earth [1]. The administration of antimicrobial agents and biocides in the local sites to some extent has been a useful approach to get rid of biofilms [9], but prolonged persistence of these compounds in the environment could induce toxicity towards non-target organisms and resistance among microorganisms within biofilms. QY101 were shown to control biofilm-associated infections [17]
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