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Chemical composition of Enterococcus faecalis in biofilm cells initiated from different physiologic states

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Abstract

Enterococcus faecalis is a ubiquitous bacterium of the gut that is observed in persistent periradicular infections. Its pathogenicity is associated with biofilm formation and the ability to survive under nutrient-poor (starvation) conditions. However, characteristics of chemical composition of biofilm cells developed by starved E. faecalis cells remain poorly understood. In this study, E. faecalis cells in exponential, stationary, and starvation phases were prepared and separately cultured to form biofilms. Confocal laser scanning microscopy was performed to verify biofilm formation. Raman microscopy was used to investigate the chemical composition of cells within the biofilms. Compared to cells in exponential or stationary phase, starved cells developed biofilms with fewer culturable cells (P < 0.05). Raman analysis revealed that cells produced in the biofilms from starved planktonic cells contained more protein and less nucleic acids than either the corresponding planktonic cells or the cells in biofilms from planktonic cells in exponential or stationary phases, suggesting that biofilm-grown cells from the starvation phase were characterized by increased synthesis of proteins and decreased nucleic acids. This study provides an insight into the chemical composition of biofilm cells developed by starved E. faecalis.

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Abbreviations

BHI:

Brain heart infusion

CFU:

Colony-forming unit

CLSM:

Confocal laser scanning microscopy

DFA:

Discriminant function analysis

PBS:

Phosphate-buffered saline

PCA:

Principal component analysis

RM:

Raman microscopy

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the Key Clinical Program of the Ministry of Health, China (No. [2010]439), Department of Science and Technology of Guangdong Province (2010B050700007, 2009B030801115), Fundamental Research Funds for The Central Universities (12ykpy67), National Natural Science Foundation of China (81200778), and Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province (S2011040002747).

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Operative Dentistry and Endodontics, Guanghua School of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, No. 56 Lingyuanxi Road, Guangzhou, 510055, Guangdong, China

    Hongyan Liu, Qiong Xu, Lijun Huo, Xi Wei & Junqi Ling

  2. Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, No. 56 Lingyuanxi Road, Guangzhou, 510055, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China

    Hongyan Liu, Qiong Xu, Lijun Huo, Xi Wei & Junqi Ling

Authors
  1. Hongyan Liu
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  2. Qiong Xu
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  3. Lijun Huo
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  4. Xi Wei
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  5. Junqi Ling
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Correspondence to Xi Wei or Junqi Ling.

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Liu, H., Xu, Q., Huo, L. et al. Chemical composition of Enterococcus faecalis in biofilm cells initiated from different physiologic states. Folia Microbiol 59, 447–453 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12223-014-0319-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12223-014-0319-1

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