Helicobcater pylori Biofilm Formation and Gene Expression on Abiotic Surfaces Using a Cyanobacterial Extract

ALBA EDITH VEGA; FABIO A. PERSIA; GABRIEL A. SALINAS-IBAÑEZ; TERESA ALARCÓN; STELLA M.C. LUCERO ESTRADA; TERESA I. CORTIÑAS; HUMBERTO J. SILVA

Journal of Life Sciences

David Publishing Company

Lugar: California; Año: 2012 vol. 6 p. 1317 - 1327

1934-7391

The effects of a cyanobacterial extract (CE) on Helicobacter pylori biofilm formation onto hydrophobic and hydrophilic abiotic surfaces and the expression of luxS, flaA, omp18, lpxD and ureA genes associated to biofilm were studied. NCTC11638 reference strain and HP796, a resistant clinical isolate, were grown in Mueller-Hinton broth supplemented with 5% fetal calf serum (FCS) or 1% CE. The ability to form biofilm, viability, morphological changes and gene expression of adhered H. pylori cells were  determined. The strains were able to form biofilm on both surfaces with the nutritional supplements analyzed. H. pylori conserved a   characteristic bacillary morphology and viability with CE. Cells attachment was higher with CE than FCS regardless of strains and  surfaces. The most remarkable increase in gene expression was observed with the omp18 gene using the CE supplement, indicating  the important participation of outer membrane proteins in biofilm establishment. The clinical isolate showed similar and even greater  gene expression than the reference strain. The results obtained indicated that the nutrients provided by CE favored biofilm formation  with retained pathogenicity that under certain conditions can occur in natural aquatic environments.