Marine-Source Quorum Quenching Enzyme YtnP to Improve Hygiene Quality in Dental Units.

Xiaohui Sun,Jia Liu,Jing Qian,Philip Hill,Yuting Ma,Shufeng Zhou

doi:10.3390/md19040225

Abstract

Biofilm in dental unit water lines may pose a health risk to patients and dental practitioners. An AdiC-like quorum quenching enzyme, YtnP, was cloned from a deep-sea probiotic Bacillus velezensis, and heterologously expressed in E. coli to examine the application on the improvement of hygiene problems caused by biofilm infection of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in dental units. Pseudomonas bacteria were isolated from dental chair units and used to grow static biofilms in the laboratory. A water filter system was designed to test the antifouling activity of YtnP in Laboratory, to simulate the biofilm contamination on water filter in dental unit water lines. The results demonstrated that the enzyme of YtnP was able to degrade the N-acyl homoserine lactones, significantly inhibited the EPS generation, biofilm formation, and virulence factors production (pyocyanin and rhamnolipid) of P. aeruginosa, and was efficient on the antifouling against P. aeruginosa. The findings in this study indicated the possibility of YtnP as novel disinfectant reagent for hygiene treatment in dental units.

Highlights

extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) generation, biofilm formation, and virulence factors production of P. aeruginosa, and was efficient on the antifouling against P. aeruginosa
Modern dental chair units (DCU) use water supplied via a system of tubes called dental unit water lines (DUWL) to cool their integrated instruments and for tooth irrigation during dental procedures [1]
Studies have revealed that these resistances were regulated by the auto-inducer initiated bacterial communication called quorum sensing (QS) [9], and the auto-inducer in P. aeruginosa and most Gram negative pathogens were classified as N-acyl homoserine lactones (AHL) [10]

Summary

Introduction

EPS generation, biofilm formation, and virulence factors production (pyocyanin and rhamnolipid) of P. aeruginosa, and was efficient on the antifouling against P. aeruginosa. There is an increasing awareness of the need for disinfection of DUWL as studies show counts of bacteria in water samples from DCU which are much higher than that allowed in potable water supplies [2]. Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a major human opportunistic pathogen that causes oral infection and secondary diseases [5], is adapted to DCUW colonization by biofilm formation [6]. Studies have revealed that these resistances were regulated by the auto-inducer initiated bacterial communication called quorum sensing (QS) [9], and the auto-inducer in P. aeruginosa and most Gram negative pathogens were classified as N-acyl homoserine lactones (AHL) [10]. Bacteria growing in the biofilm mode are difficult to kill as they exhibit increased resistance to most biocidal reagents compared to the same bacterial species growing as planktonic cultures [12]

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion