title: Thiophenones inhibit Staphylococcus epidermidis biofilm formation at nontoxic concentrations.
abstract: Frequent use of medical implants has led Staphylococcus epidermidis to develop into an opportunistic pathogen. The virulence is mainly linked to biofilm formation. Infections associated with biofilms are difficult to treat owing to enhanced resistance to antibiotics. Therefore, new and alternative treatments are called for. Bacterial communication is one of the regulatory mechanisms suggested to be involved in coordinating biofilm formation. In this study, we compared three communication inhibitors for preventing in vitro biofilm formation: a synthetic furanone, and two synthetic thiophenones, which are sulphur analogues of furanones. Furanones naturally source from the red macro alga Delisea pulchra. We also investigated the effect of thiophenone on transcriptional levels of genes associated with biofilm formation. We found that thiophenones were more effective in inhibiting biofilm formation than furanone, also in presence of albumin. We furthermore found that the thiophenones inhibited biofilm formation and bacterial communication more than furanones, and were less cytotoxic. The expression of the icaC and the lrgB genes, which are associated with biofilm formation, were affected by the thiophenone.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Biology, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lönn-Stensrud
authors.forename: Ali-Oddin
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Naemi
authors.forename: Tore
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Benneche
authors.forename: Fernanda Cristina
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Petersen
authors.forename: Anne Aamdal
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Scheie
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D018441:Biofilms / Q000187:drug effects*; D005663:Furans / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006801:Humans; D013212:Staphylococcus epidermidis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D013457:Sulfur Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology*; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D005663:Furans; D013457:Sulfur Compounds; D037521:Virulence Factors