alpha-Chymotrypsin immobilized on a low-density polyethylene surface successfully weakens Escherichia coli biofilm formation

The protease?-chymotrypsin (?-CT) was covalently immobilized on a low-densitypolyethylene (LDPE) surface, providing a new non-leaching material (LDPE-?-CT) able to preservesurfaces from biofilm growth over a long working timescale. The immobilized enzyme showed atransesterification activity of 1.24 nmol/h, confirming that the immobilization protocol did notnegatively affect?-CT activity. Plate count viability assays, as well as confocal laser scannermicroscopy (CLSM) analysis, showed that LDPE-?-CT significantly impacts Escherichia coli biofilmformation by (i) reducing the number of adhered cells (-70.7±5.0%); (ii) significantly affectingbiofilm thickness (-81.8±16.7%), roughness (-13.8±2.8%), substratum coverage (-63.1±1.8%),and surface to bio-volume ratio (+7.1±0.2-fold); and (iii) decreasing the matrix polysaccharidebio-volume (80.2±23.2%). Additionally, CLSM images showed a destabilized biofilm with manycells dispersing from it. Notably, biofilm stained for live and dead cells confirmed that the reductionin the biomass was achieved by a mechanism that did not affect bacterial viability, reducing thechances for the evolution of resistant strains (PDF) ?-Chymotrypsin Immobilized on a Low-Density Polyethylene Surface Successfully Weakens Escherichia coli Biofilm Formation. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/329603205_a-Chymotrypsin_Immobilized_on_a_Low-Density_Polyethylene_Surface_Successfully_Weakens_Escherichia_coli_Biofilm_Formation [accessed Dec 17 2018].