title: Anti-biofilm activity of an exopolysaccharide from a sponge-associated strain of Bacillus licheniformis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Secondary metabolites ranging from furanone to exo-polysaccharides have been suggested to have anti-biofilm activity in various recent studies. Among these, Escherichia coli group II capsular polysaccharides were shown to inhibit biofilm formation of a wide range of organisms and more recently marine Vibrio sp. were found to secrete complex exopolysaccharides having the potential for broad-spectrum biofilm inhibition and disruption.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In this study we report that a newly identified ca. 1800 kDa polysaccharide having simple monomeric units of α-D-galactopyranosyl-(1→2)-glycerol-phosphate exerts an anti-biofilm activity against a number of both pathogenic and non-pathogenic strains without bactericidal effects. This polysaccharide was extracted from a Bacillus licheniformis strain associated with the marine organism Spongia officinalis. The mechanism of action of this compound is most likely independent from quorum sensing, as its structure is unrelated to any of the so far known quorum sensing molecules. In our experiments we also found that treatment of abiotic surfaces with our polysaccharide reduced the initial adhesion and biofilm development of strains such as Escherichia coli PHL628 and Pseudomonas fluorescens.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The polysaccharide isolated from sponge-associated B. licheniformis has several features that provide a tool for better exploration of novel anti-biofilm compounds. Inhibiting biofilm formation of a wide range of bacteria without affecting their growth appears to represent a special feature of the polysaccharide described in this report. Further research on such surface-active compounds might help developing new classes of anti-biofilm molecules with broad spectrum activity and more in general will allow exploring of new functions for bacterial polysaccharides in the environment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Structural and Functional Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: S M Abu
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Sayem
authors.forename: Emiliano
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Manzo
authors.forename: Letizia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ciavatta
authors.forename: Annabella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tramice
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cordone
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zanfardino
authors.forename: Maurilio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: De Felice
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Varcamonti
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001407:Bacillus / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D018441:Biofilms / Q000187:drug effects*; D002240:Carbohydrate Sequence; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D008970:Molecular Weight; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011161:Porifera / Q000382:microbiology*; D011551:Pseudomonas fluorescens / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial