Eight Gram-negative bacteria are 10,000 times more sensitive to cationic detergents than to anionic detergents

Authors

Soumitra Rajagopal, University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Nicole Eis, University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Kenneth Nickerson, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow

Date of this Version

2003

Document Type

Article

Citation

Published in Can. J. Microbiol. 49: 775–779 (2003)

doi: 10.1139/W03-100

Comments

Copyright © 2003 NRC Canada. Used by permission.

Abstract

In liquid culture, eight typical Gram-negative bacteria were ca. 10,000-fold more sensitive to cationic detergents than to the anionic detergent sodium dodecyl sulfate. Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) was inhibitory at concentrations ranging from 0.0006% to 0.01%. Four pseudomonads able to form biofilms were ca. 1000-fold more resistant to CTAB on Luria–Bertani agar plates than they were in liquid culture. A lasI mutant of Pseudomonas aeruginosa was only able to tolerate 0.1% CTAB on Luria–Bertani agar plates but could tolerate 5% CTAB when supplemented with homoserine lactone containing culture supernatants.

En culture liquide, huit bactéries Gram négatif typiques étaient ca. 10,000 fois plus sensible aux détergents cationiques qu'au détergent anionique dodécyl sulfate de sodium. Le bromure de cétyltriméthylammonium (CTAB) était inhibiteur à des concentrations allant de 0,0006% à 0,01%. Quatre pseudomonades capables de former des biofilms étaient ca. 1000 fois plus résistant au CTAB sur des plaques de gélose Luria – Bertani qu'en culture liquide. Un mutant lasI de Pseudomonas aeruginosa ne pouvait tolérer que 0,1% de CTAB sur des plaques de gélose Luria-Bertani, mais pouvait tolérer 5% de CTAB lorsqu'il était complété par des surnageants de culture contenant de l'homosérine lactone.