title: Biofilm extracellular-DNA in 55 Staphylococcus epidermidis clinical isolates from implant infections.
abstract: Biofilm formation is broadly recognized as an important virulence factor in many bacterial species implicated in implant-related opportunistic infections. In spite of a long history of research and many investigative efforts aimed at elucidating their chemical composition, structure, and function, the nature of bacterial biofilms still remains only partly revealed. Over the years, different extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) have been described that contribute functionally and structurally to the organization of biofilms. Recently extracellular DNA (eDNA) has emerged as a quantitatively conspicuous and potentially relevant structural component of microbial biofilms of many microbial species, Staphylococcus aureus and S. epidermidis among them. The present study aims at comparatively investigating the amount of eDNA present in the biofilm of 55 clinical isolates of S. epidermidis from postsurgical and biomaterial-related orthopedic infections. Quantification of eDNA was performed by a non-destructive method directly on bacterial biofilms formed under static conditions on the plastic surface of 96-well plates.
authors.affiliation: Research Unit on Implant Infections, Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ravaioli
authors.forename: Davide
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Campoccia
authors.forename: Livia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Visai
authors.forename: Valter
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pirini
authors.forename: Ilaria
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Cangini
authors.forename: Tolmino
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Corazzari
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Maso
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Poggio
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pegreffi
authors.forename: Lucio
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Montanaro
authors.forename: Carla Renata
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Arciola
mesh_terms: D018441:Biofilms / Q000254:growth & development*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000378:metabolism*; D003850:Deoxyribonuclease I / Q000378:metabolism; D005470:Fluorometry; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial / Q000378:metabolism; D016459:Prosthesis-Related Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D021521:Ribotyping; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D013212:Staphylococcus epidermidis / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial; C113579:polysaccharide intercellular adhesin; D003850:Deoxyribonuclease I