Journal
JOURNAL OF DENTAL RESEARCH
Volume 86, Issue 7, Pages 618-622Publisher
INT AMER ASSOC DENTAL RESEARCHI A D R/A A D R
DOI: 10.1177/154405910708600707
Keywords
A. actinomycetemcomitans; biofilm matrix; critical micelle concentration; dispersin B; PGA; SDS
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Funding
- NIDCR NIH HHS [DE16291, DE15124] Funding Source: Medline
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The periodontopathogen Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans forms tenacious biofilms on abiotic surfaces in vitro. The objective of the present study was to measure the susceptibility of A. actinomycetemcomitans biofilms to detachment and killing by the anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). We found that biofilms formed by a wild-type strain were resistant to detachment by SDS. In contrast, biofilms formed by an isogenic mutant strain that was deficient in the production of PGA (poly-N-acetyl-glucosamine), a biofilm matrix polysaccharide, were sensitive to detachment by SDS. Pretreatment of wild-type biofilms with dispersin B, a PGA-degrading enzyme, rendered them sensitive to detachment by SDS and resulted in a > 99% increase in SDS-mediated cell killing. We concluded that PGA protects A. actino-mycetemcomitans cells from detachment and killing by SDS. Dispersin B and SDS may be useful agents for treating chronic infections caused by A. actinomycetemcomitans and other PGA-producing bacteria.
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