CLSM examination of S. maltophilia Sm192 biofilm after 24 h of development. Orthogonal images, collected within the biofilm as indicated by the green and red lines in the top view, showed that biofilm consisted of cells forming a multilayered structure (red, propidium iodide-stained)

embedded in an abundant extracellular polymeric substance (blue, concanavalin A-stained). Image ON-01910 order capture was set for simultaneous visualization of both red and blue fluorescence. Magnification, ×100. Significant differences were also found among sequential isolates in some cases concerning susceptibility to oxidative stress (Sm194 vs Sm190, p < 0.05; Sm194 vs Sm192, p < 0.001) and swimming motility (Sm193 vs Sm194 and Sm195, p < 0.001) (data not shown). Swimming and twitching motilities are critical for biofilm development in CF strains Overall, 9 nonmotile strains, 4 non-CF strains and 5 CF strains, with neither swimming nor twitching motility were observed, with only 2 of them resulting in see more the inability to form biofilm. No significant differences were seen in motility, in the percentage of motile strains, and in the mean motility level between CF and non-CF isolates (data not shown). Similarly, among ENV isolates growth temperature did not significantly affect neither swimming nor twitching motility (data not shown).

Interestingly, swimming and twitching motilities were positively correlated to biofilm biomass (Pearson r: 0.528 and 0.625, respectively; p < 0.0001) in CF strains only. No statistically significant differences were found among the motility patterns (swimming+/twitching+, swimming+/twitching-, swimming-/twitching+, and swimming-/twitching-) with respect to the biofilm formed (data not shown). CF and non-CF isolates show comparable virulence in a mouse model of lung infection As shown in Figure 5A, a weight reduction Anacetrapib of at least 10% was observed on day 1 post-exposure (p.e.) in mice this website infected with invasive Sm46 and Sm188 strains and those exposed to non-CF Sm174, and later for mice exposed to CF strains (on day 2 and 3 p.e. for Sm122 and Sm111 strains, respectively). By day 1 p.e. the mean weight

of infected mice was significantly (p < 0.01) lower than that of control mice. By day 2 p.e., only infected mice with non-CF strains (Sm174, Sm170) and the invasive Sm188 strain slowly started regaining weight, although only mice infected with Sm170 strain regained it completely on day 3 p.e.. Control mice lost not more than 1% of their body weight during the study-period monitored. All infected mice showed symptoms of slow responsiveness and piloerection from day 1 through day 3 p.e.. Figure 5 Mouse model of acute lung infection by C F and non-CF S. maltophilia strains. DBA/2 mice (n = 8, for each strain) were exposed on day 0 to aerosolized CF (Sm111 and Sm122 strains, from respiratory specimens) or non-CF (Sm170 and Sm174 strains, from respiratory specimens; Sm46 and Sm188 strains, from blood) S. maltophilia in PBS.