Evaluation of different detection methods of biofilm formation in Staphylococcus aureus.
The icaADBC gene locus of Staphylococcus aureus and its polysaccharide intercellular adhesin (PIA/PNSG) were recently identified, but biofilm formation has rarely been detected in vitro. In this study we evaluated a tissue culture plate (TCP) assay and a tube test, as well as Congo red agar, using the two basic media trypticase soy broth (TSB) and brain heart infusion (BHI) broth with different sugar supplements for detection of biofilm formation in 128 ica-positive S. aureus isolates. Of the S. aureus strains, 57.1% displayed a biofilm-positive phenotype under optimized conditions in the TCP test. The tube test correlated well with the TCP test for strongly biofilm-producing strains, whereas weak producers were not safely discriminated from biofilm-negative strains. Screening on Congo red agar displayed a strong correlation with the TCP and the tube test for only 3.8%, and is therefore not recommended for investigation of biofilm formation in S. aureus.
Knobloch
Johannes K-M
JK
Institut für Medizinische Mikrobiologie und Immunologie, Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, Germany. knobloch@uke.uni-hamburg.de
Horstkotte
Matthias A
MA
Rohde
Holger
H
Mack
Dietrich
D
D000362:Agar / Q000378:metabolism; D018441:Biofilms / Q000254:growth & development*; D002364:Caseins; D003224:Congo Red / Q000378:metabolism; D003470:Culture Media / Q000145:classification; D046508:Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods; D017351:N-Acetylglucosaminyltransferases; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D011492:Protein Hydrolysates; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors
D002364:Caseins; D003470:Culture Media; D011492:Protein Hydrolysates; C026375:trypticase-soy broth; D003224:Congo Red; D000362:Agar; D017351:N-Acetylglucosaminyltransferases; C037649:N-acetyllactosaminide beta-1,6-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase