title: Polyelectrolyte-mediated increase of biofilm mass formation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Biofilm formation is associated with various aspects of bacterial and fungal infection. This study was designed to assess the impact of diverse natural polyelectrolytes, such as DNA, F-actin, neurofilaments (NFs), vimentin and purified Pf1 bacteriophage on biofilm formation and swarming motility of select pathogens including Pseudomonas aeruginosa associated with lung infections in CF patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The bacteriophage Pf1 (1 mg/ml) significantly increased biofilm mass produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa P14, Escherichia coli RS218 and Bacillus subtilis ATCC6051. DNA, F-actin, NFs and Pf1 also increased biofilm mass of the fungal C. albicans 1409 strain. Addition of F-actin, DNA or Pf1 bacteriophage to 0.5% agar plates increased swarming motility of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Xen5.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The presence of polyelectrolytes at infection sites is likely to promote biofilm growth and bacterial swarming.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiological and Nanobiomedical Engineering, Medical University of Bialystok, ul. Mickiewicza 2C, Bialystok, 15-222, Poland. buckirobert@gmail.com.|Department of Physiology, Pathophysiology and Microbiology of Infections, The Faculty of Health Sciences of the Jan Kochanowski University in Kielce, Kielce, Poland. buckirobert@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bucki
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiological and Nanobiomedical Engineering, Medical University of Bialystok, ul. Mickiewicza 2C, Bialystok, 15-222, Poland. katia146@wp.pl.
authors.forename: Katarzyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Niemirowicz
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiological and Nanobiomedical Engineering, Medical University of Bialystok, ul. Mickiewicza 2C, Bialystok, 15-222, Poland. u.wnorowska@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Urszula
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Wnorowska
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Holy Cross Oncology Center of Kielce, Kielce, Poland. marzena.watek@wp.pl.
authors.forename: Marzena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wątek
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and the Institute for Medicine and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA. fbyfield@mail.med.upenn.edu.
authors.forename: Fitzroy J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Byfield
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and the Institute for Medicine and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA. katcruz@mail.med.upenn.edu.
authors.forename: Katrina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Cruz
authors.affiliation: Department of Dental Microbiology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland. martamwroblewska@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wróblewska
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and the Institute for Medicine and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA. janmey@mail.med.upenn.edu.
authors.forename: Paul A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Janmey
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000494:pharmacology; D018407:Bacterial Physiological Phenomena / Q000187:drug effects*; D025561:Bacteriophage Pf1 / Q000502:physiology*; D018441:Biofilms / Q000254:growth & development*; D002460:Cell Line; D004247:DNA / Q000494:pharmacology; D004573:Electrolytes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D007382:Intermediate Filaments / Q000378:metabolism; D011108:Polymers / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014746:Vimentin / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D004573:Electrolytes; D011108:Polymers; D014746:Vimentin; D004247:DNA