title: Antimicrobial dendrimer active against Escherichia coli biofilms.
abstract: We have investigated the ability of a previously reported antimicrobial peptide dendrimer (RW)(4D) to inactivate Escherichia coli RP437 in planktonic culture and in biofilms. The results show that the dendrimer inhibits bacterial growth in both planktonic and biofilm states. Live/Dead staining assays reveal that most bacteria in a preformed biofilm lose viability after treatment with this peptide. This result is in marked contrast to most existing reports that antimicrobial peptides are ineffective against mature bacterial biofilms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical and Chemical Engineering, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, United States.
authors.forename: Shuyu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.forename: Chunhui
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Zhigang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Anne W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Young
authors.forename: Zhengshuang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Dacheng
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.forename: Neville R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Kallenbach
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018441:Biofilms / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D050091:Dendrimers / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D050296:Microbial Viability / Q000187:drug effects; D008958:Models, Molecular; D015394:Molecular Structure; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D050091:Dendrimers; D010455:Peptides