Pseudomonas aeruginosa Isolated from Pre-Colombian Archeological Textiles

ANNA OTLEWSKA; KATARZYNA RAJKOWSKA; PATRICIA GUIAMET; PAULINA KAMIL1SKA; BEATA GUTAROWSKA

Torun

Conferencia; VI MIDZYNARODOWA KONFERENCJA NAUKOWA; 2018

Uniwersytet Mikotaja Kopernika

The pathogenicity of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains isolated from clinical materials has been well-recognized and described in the scientific literature. However, to date little is known to what extent strains of P. aeruginosa originating from archeological materials may pose a threat to conservators, archaeologists or museum workers.The aim of the study was to characterize P. aeruginosa strains, isolated from pre- and post Colombian archeological textiles in the aspect of their pathogenicity. In the study three genetically identified strains P. aeruginosa (1Text2/5, 2Text2/5, 2aPA) were used, isolated from archeological textiles and stored in Deposit 25 of Archaeological Division at La Plata Museum, Argentina. As a reference strain P. aeruginosa ATCC 9027 was used, derived from a clinical specimen. Among the properties associated with P. aeruginosa virulence, the ability to form biofilms on abiotic surfaces, the production of pyocyanin, proteolytic and haemolytic activities and sensitivity to antibiotics were determined.All tested P. aeruginosa strains exhibited high ability to colonize abiotic surfaces. The largest biofilm (3.8x 109 cfu/cm2 ) was observed for P. aeruginosa ATCC 9027 on the surface of polypropylene. Strains isolated from textiles showed the ability to form biofilms at a high level of 1.8-8.3x 108 cfu/cm2 , depending on the strain and the material. Proteolytic activity of two out of four tested bacterial strains was reported, i.e. the reference strain ATCC 9027 and the environmental strain 2Text2/5. P. aeruginosa ATCC 9027, 1Text2/5 and 2Text2/5 were found to produce pyocyanin, and its concentration after 48 hours ranged from 0.39 to 8.48 IJg/ml depending on the strain. All tested bacterial strains exhibited beta-haemolysis, with the highest haemolytic activity observed for P. aeruginosa A TCC 9027 and the lowest for isolate 2aPA. P. aeruginosa ATCC 9027 was resistant to three out of seven antibiotics tested (cefepime, aztreonam, poly.myxin B) and intermediately sensitive to piperacillin/tazobactam, an antibiotic of the penicillin group. Textiles derived isolates 1Text2/5 and 2Text2/5 showed susceptibility to all antibiotics tested, and 2aPA was resistant to aztreonam from monobactam group. The properties of P. aeruginosa strains isolated from archeological textiles in terms of their proteolytic and haemolytic activities as well as the high capability to colonize abiotic surfaces indicate their potential pathogenicity.