title: Coating polypropylene surfaces with protease weakens the adhesion and increases the dispersion of Candida albicans cells.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the ability of the proteases, subtilisin and α-chymotrypsin (aCT), to inhibit the adhesion of Candida albicans biofilm to a polypropylene surface.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The proteases were immobilized on plasma-treated polypropylene by covalently linking them with either glutaraldehyde (GA) or N'-diisopropylcarbodiimide (DIC) and N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS). The immobilization did not negatively affect the enzyme activity and in the case of subtilisin, the activity was up to 640% higher than that of the free enzyme when using N-acetyl phenylalanine ethyl ester as the substrate. The efficacies against biofilm dispersal for the GA-linked SubC and aCT coatings were 41 and 55% higher than the control (polypropylene coated with only GA), respectively, whereas no effect was observed with enzymes immobilized with DIC and NHS. The higher dispersion efficacy observed for the proteases immobilized with GA could be both steric (proper orientation of the active site) and dynamic (higher protein mobility/flexibility).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Proteases immobilized on a polypropylene surface reduced the adhesion of C. albicans biofilms and therefore may be useful in developing anti-biofilm surfaces based on non-toxic molecules and sustainable strategies.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Chimica del Riconoscimento Molecolare, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, via Mario Bianco 9, 20131, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Eugenio Spadoni
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Andreani
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze per gli Alimenti, la Nutrizione e l'Ambiente, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Celoria 2, 20133, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Villa
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze per gli Alimenti, la Nutrizione e l'Ambiente, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Celoria 2, 20133, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cappitelli
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Wrocław, Joilot-Curie 14a, 50-383, Wrocław, Poland.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Krasowska
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Wrocław, Joilot-Curie 14a, 50-383, Wrocław, Poland.
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Biniarz
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Wrocław, Joilot-Curie 14a, 50-383, Wrocław, Poland.
authors.forename: Marcin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Łukaszewicz
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Chimica del Riconoscimento Molecolare, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, via Mario Bianco 9, 20131, Milan, Italy. francesco.secundo@icrm.cnr.it.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Secundo
mesh_terms: D000268:Adhesiveness / Q000187:drug effects; D018441:Biofilms / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D020099:Coated Materials, Biocompatible / Q000494:pharmacology; D003114:Colony-Forming Units Assay; D010450:Endopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism*; D004800:Enzymes, Immobilized / Q000378:metabolism; D004951:Esterification / Q000187:drug effects; D011126:Polypropylenes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D020099:Coated Materials, Biocompatible; D004800:Enzymes, Immobilized; D011126:Polypropylenes; D010450:Endopeptidases
keywords: Antibiofilm; Biofilms; Candida albicans; Polypropylene; Proteinase; Subtilisin; α-Chymotrpsin