title: Factors associated with adherence to and biofilm formation on polystyrene by Stenotrophomonas maltophilia: the role of cell surface hydrophobicity and motility.
abstract: We tested 40 clinical Stenotrophomonas maltophilia strains to investigate the possible correlation between adherence to and formation of biofilm on polystyrene, and cell surface properties such as hydrophobicity and motility. Most of the strains were able to adhere and form biofilm, although striking differences were observed. Eleven (27.5%) of the strains were hydrophobic, with hydrophobicity greatly increasing as S. maltophilia attached to the substratum. A positive correlation was observed between hydrophobicity and levels of both adhesion and biofilm formation. Most of the isolates showed swimming and twitching motility. A highly significant negative correlation was observed between swimming motility and level of hydrophobicity. Hydrophobicity is thus a significant determinant of adhesion and biofilm formation on polystyrene surfaces in S. maltophilia.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Clinical Microbiology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, 'G. d'Annunzio' University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy.
authors.forename: Arianna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pompilio
authors.forename: Raffaele
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Piccolomini
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Picciani
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: D'Antonio
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Savini
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Di Bonaventura
mesh_terms: D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D018407:Bacterial Physiological Phenomena; D018441:Biofilms / Q000254:growth & development*; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D011137:Polystyrenes; D020615:Stenotrophomonas maltophilia / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D011137:Polystyrenes