Death and Transfiguration in Static Staphylococcus epidermidis Cultures

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0100002
• Publication Date: 2014-06-25T20:20:43Z
• Authors: Christoph Schaudinn; Paul Stoodley; Luanne Hall-Stoodley; Amita Gorur; Jonathan Remis; Siva Wu; Manfred Auer; Stefan Hertwig; Debbie Guerrero-G...; Fen Ze Hu; Garth D. Ehrlich; John William Cost...; Douglas H. Robinson; Paul Webster
• Keywords: 0301 basic medicine; Science; Q; R; Bacterial Adhesion; 3. Good health; 03 medical and health sciences; Biofilms; Culture Techniques; Staphylococcus epidermidis; Medicine; Research Article

The overwhelming majority of bacteria live in slime embedded microbial communities termed biofilms, which are typically adherent to a surface. However, when several Staphylococcus epidermidis strains were cultivated static liquid cultures, macroscopic aggregates seen floating within the broth and also sedimented at test tube bottom. Light- electron microscopy revealed that early-stage consisted extracellular matrix, organized sheet-like structures. Perpendicular under sheets hung network periodically arranged, bacteria-associated strands. During extended cultivation, strands subpopulation developed into cross-connected wall-like structures, aligned formed walls. resulting architecture had compartmentalized appearance. In late-stage wall-associated disintegrated so that, henceforth, walls made coalescing remnants lysed bacteria, while compartment-like organization remained intact. At same time, strand-containing with associated culturable continued exist. These observations indicate some able build highly sophisticated undergoes cell lysis, presumably provide access nutrients nutrient-limited environment, whilst maintaining structural integrity.