Surface properties, adhesion and biofilm formation on different surfaces by Scedosporium spp. and Lomentospora prolificans

Abstract

In the present work, some surface properties of the fungi Scedosporium apiospermum, S. aurantiacum, S. minutisporum, and Lomentospora prolificans and their capability to adhere to and form a biofilm on diverse surfaces were evaluated. All four species had high conidial surface hydrophobicity and elevated electronegative zeta potentials. Abundant quantities of melanin were detected at the conidial surface, whereas sialic acid was absent. The numbers of non-germinated and germinated conidia adhered to poly-L-lysine-covered slides was higher than on glass after 4 h of fungi–surface contact. Additionally, after 72 h of interaction a typical biofilm structure had formed. Mature biofilms were also observed after 72 h on a nasogastric catheter (made from polyvinyl chloride), a late bladder catheter (siliconized latex), and a nasoenteric catheter (polyurethane). Interestingly, biofilm biomass increased considerably when the catheters had previously been incubated with serum. These results confirm that Scedosporium/Lomentospora spp. are capable of forming biofilms on diverse abiotic surfaces.

Keywords:

• Adhesion
• biofilm
• catheters
• germination
• Scedosporium
• Lomentospora

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Denise Rocha de Souza and Diego de Souza Gonçalves, both supported by FAPERJ scholarships, for their technical assistance, as well as Grasiella Matioszek for confocal analyses. They also wish to thank Dr Alexander Loures Esperança da Rocha for kindly donating the catheters and Dr Malachy McCann (Chemistry Department, National University of Ireland Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland) for the valuable critical English review.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by grants from the Brazilian Agencies: Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq), Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa no Estado do Rio de Janeiro (FAPERJ) and Fundação Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES).