Bio-enzymes for inhibition and elimination of Escherichia coli O157:H7 biofilm and their synergistic effect with sodium hypochlorite

Sci Rep. 2019 Jul 9;9(1):9920. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-46363-w.

Abstract

Escherichia coli O157:H7 is one of the most important pathogens worldwide. In this study, three different kinds of enzymes, DNase I, proteinase K and cellulase were evaluated for inhibitory or degrading activity against E. coli O157:H7 biofilm by targeting extracellular DNA, proteins, and cellulose, respectively. The cell number of biofilms formed under proteinase K resulted in a 2.43 log CFU/cm2 reduction with an additional synergistic 3.72 log CFU/cm2 reduction after NaClO post-treatment, while no significant reduction occurred with NaClO treatment alone. It suggests that protein degradation could be a good way to control the biofilm effectively. In preformed biofilms, all enzymes showed a significant reduction of 16.4-36.7% in biofilm matrix in 10-fold diluted media (p < 0.05). The sequential treatment with proteinase K, cellulase, and NaClO showed a significantly higher synergistic inactivation of 2.83 log CFU/cm2 compared to 1.58 log CFU/cm2 in the sequence of cellulase, proteinase K, and NaClO (p < 0.05). It suggests that the sequence of multiple enzymes can make a significant difference in the susceptibility of biofilms to NaClO. This study indicates that the combination of extracellular polymeric substance-degrading enzymes with NaClO could be useful for the efficient control of E. coli O157:H7 biofilms.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Biofilms / drug effects
  • Biofilms / growth & development*
  • Cellulase / metabolism*
  • Deoxyribonuclease I / metabolism*
  • Drug Synergism*
  • Endopeptidase K / metabolism*
  • Escherichia coli O157 / drug effects
  • Escherichia coli O157 / growth & development*
  • Escherichia coli O157 / metabolism
  • Oxidants / pharmacology
  • Sodium Hypochlorite / pharmacology*

Substances

  • Oxidants
  • Sodium Hypochlorite
  • Deoxyribonuclease I
  • Cellulase
  • Endopeptidase K