α-Chymotrypsin Immobilized on a Low-Density Polyethylene Surface Successfully Weakens Escherichia coli Biofilm Formation
Loading...
Date
2018-12
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
The protease α-chymotrypsin (α-CT) was covalently immobilized on a low-density polyethylene (LDPE) surface, providing a new non-leaching material (LDPE-α-CT) able to preserve surfaces from biofilm growth over a long working timescale. The immobilized enzyme showed a transesterification activity of 1.24 nmol/h, confirming that the immobilization protocol did not negatively affect α-CT activity. Plate count viability assays, as well as confocal laser scanner microscopy (CLSM) analysis, showed that LDPE-α-CT significantly impacts Escherichia coli biofilm formation by (i) reducing the number of adhered cells (−70.7 ± 5.0%); (ii) significantly affecting biofilm thickness (−81.8 ± 16.7%), roughness (−13.8 ± 2.8%), substratum coverage (−63.1 ± 1.8%), and surface to bio-volume ratio (+7.1 ± 0.2-fold); and (iii) decreasing the matrix polysaccharide bio-volume (80.2 ± 23.2%). Additionally, CLSM images showed a destabilized biofilm with many cells dispersing from it. Notably, biofilm stained for live and dead cells confirmed that the reduction in the biomass was achieved by a mechanism that did not affect bacterial viability, reducing the chances for the evolution of resistant strains.
Description
Keywords
Citation
Catto, Cristina, Francesco Secundo, Garth A. James, Federica Villa, and Francesca Cappitelli. "α-Chymotrypsin Immobilized on a Low-Density Polyethylene Surface Successfully Weakens Escherichia coli Biofilm Formation." International Journal of Molecular Sciences 19, no. 12 (December 2018). DOI:10.3390/ijms19124003.