Environmental scanning electron microscopy analysis ofProteus mirabilisbiofilms grown on chitin and stainless steel.
Proteus mirabilisis a human pathogen able to form biofilms on the surface of urinary catheters. Little is known aboutP. mirabilisbiofilms on natural or industrial surfaces and the potential consequences for these settings. The main aim of this work was to assess and compare the adhesion and biofilm formation ofP. mirabilisstrains from different origins on chitin and stainless steel surfaces within 4 to 96 h. Using environmental scanning electron microscopy, the biofilms of a clinical strain grown on chitin at 4 h showed greater adhesion, aggregation, thickness, and extracellular matrix production than those grown on stainless steel, whereas biofilms of an environmental strain had less aggregation on both surfaces. Biofilms of bothP. mirabilisstrains developed different structures on chitin, such as pillars, mushrooms, channels, and crystalline-like precipitates between 24 and 96 h, in contrast with flat-layer biofilms produced on stainless steel. Significant differences (p< 0.05) were found in the frequency of pillars and channels. Images of transmission electron microscopy demonstrated abundant fimbriae in 100 % of cells from both strains, which could be related to surface adherence and biofilm formation. This represents the first study ofP. mirabilisshowing adhesion, biofilm formation, and development of different structures on surfaces found outside the human host.
Centro de Biofísica y Bioquímica, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas, Caracas, Venezuela.
Milagro
M
Fernández-Delgado
Unidad de Biodeterioro Industrial, Fundación Instituto Zuliano de Investigaciones Tecnológicas, La Cañada, Estado Zulia Venezuela.
Zoilabet
Z
Duque
Instituto de Inmunología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Caracas, Venezuela.
Héctor
H
Rojas
Departamento de Biología de Organismos, Universidad Simón Bolívar, Caracas, Venezuela.
Paula
P
Suárez
Centro de Biofísica y Bioquímica, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas, Caracas, Venezuela.
Monica
M
Contreras
Centro de Biofísica y Bioquímica, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas, Caracas, Venezuela.
María A
MA
García-Amado
Unidad de Biodeterioro Industrial, Fundación Instituto Zuliano de Investigaciones Tecnológicas, La Cañada, Estado Zulia Venezuela.
Carlos
C
Alciaturi
Adhesion; Biofilms; Chitin; Environmental scanning electron microscopy; Proteus mirabilis; Stainless steel