Human Plasma Enhances the Expression of Staphylococcal Microbial Surface Components Recognizing Adhesive Matrix Molecules Promoting Biofilm Formation and Increases Antimicrobial Tolerance In Vitro

Abstract

Background: Microbial biofilms have been associated with the development of chronic human infections and represent a clinical challenge given their increased antimicrobial tolerance. Staphylococcus aureus is a major human pathogen causing a diverse range of diseases, of which biofilms are often involved. Staphylococcal attachment and the formation of biofilms have been shown to be facilitated by host factors that accumulate on surfaces. To better understand how host factors enhance staphylococcal biofilm formation, we evaluated the effect of whole human plasma on biofilm formation in clinical isolates of S. aureus and the expression of seven microbial surface components recognizing adhesive matrix molecules (MSCRAMMs) known to be involved in biofilm formation by quantitative real-time PCR. We also evaluated whether plasma augmented changes in S. aureus biofilm morphology and antimicrobial resistance. Results: Exposure of clinical isolates of S. aureus to human plasma (10 ) within media, and to a lesser extent when coated onto plates, significantly enhanced biofilm formation in all of the clinical isolates tested. Compared to biofilms grown under non-supplemented conditions, plasma-augmented biofilms displayed significant changes in both the biofilm phenotype and cell morphology as determined by confocal scanning laser microscopy (CLSM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively. Exposure of bacteria to plasma resulted in a significant fold-increase in MSCRAMM expression in both a time and isolate-dependent manner. Additionally, plasma-augmented biofilms displayed an increased tolerance to vancomycin compared to biofilms grown in non-supplemented media.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jul 17, 2014
Accession Number
AD1075314

Entities

People

  • Anthony P. Cardile
  • Carlos Jr J Sanchez
  • Clinton K. Murray
  • Desiree R. Romano
  • Joseph C Wenke
  • Kevin Skevin Akers
  • Meghan E. Samberg
  • Sharanda K. Hardy

Organizations

  • United States Army Institute of Surgical Research

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Anti-Infective Agents
  • Bacteria
  • Body Fluids
  • Carrier Proteins
  • Cellular Structures
  • Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy
  • Confocal Microscopy
  • Electron Microscopes
  • Electron Microscopy
  • Films
  • Gene Expression
  • Infection
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Laser Microscopy
  • Microscopes
  • Microscopy

Fields of Study

  • Biology

Readers

  • Microbial Pathology

Technology Areas

  • Biotechnology
  • Directed Energy
  • Microelectronics