title: Interactions of ocular isolates of gram-negative bacteria with lactoferrin.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim was to examine the interaction of lactoferrin with gram-negative bacteria isolated from ocular adverse responses.
  
  
  METHODS
  Strains representing the species Pseudomonas aeruginosa (six strains), Aeromonas hydrophila, Escherichia coli, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, and Haemophilus influenza were tested. A modified enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to measure the binding of the strains to native and deglycosylated lactoferrin. The effect on the viability of strains was measured by incubating strains in media containing lactoferrin as the sole carbon and nitrogen source. Siderophore production by strains was measured using an established assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All the strains except the single strain of E. coli (Ecol8) were capable of binding to lactoferrin. The ocular isolate of H. influenzae showed strong affinity for lactoferrin. The P. aeruginosa strains and the strain of S. maltophilia showed significantly reduced (80%-100% reduction; P<0.05) binding to lactoferrin that had been enzymatically deglycosylated, whereas deglycosylation had no effect on the binding of other strains/species tested. Most strains were able to grow and produce siderophores in the presence of lactoferrin as the sole carbon and nitrogen source.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The ability to bind to and grow on lactoferrin can be important for gram-negative pathogens that colonize the ocular environment, because this could allow bacteria to survive and propagate in the presence of tear fluid.
authors.affiliation: Cooperative Research Centre for Eye Research and Technology, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Timothy J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Mark D P
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Willcox
authors.forename: Rene P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Schneider
mesh_terms: D001422:Bacterial Adhesion / Q000502:physiology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D015818:Eye Infections, Bacterial / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D016905:Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D007781:Lactoferrin / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D007781:Lactoferrin