The effect of dilute surfactants on bacterial attachment to hydrophobic and hydrophilic substrata was studied. Tween 80 and cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide were less effective in preventing attachment than Triton X-100. At a concentration of 0.002 per cent, Triton X-100 strongly inhibited the attachment of all 11 bacterial isolates to polystyrene. Attachment to glass was less sensitive to surfactant treatment, inhibition depending on the test organism, but at 0.1 per cent all isolates were inhibited except Vibrio proteolytica. Triton X-100 at 0.01 per cent caused the displacement of Vibrio proteolytica cells previously attached to polystyrene. Concentrations of surfactant which completely inhibited attachment had little effect on growth, indicating that inhibition of attachment was not due to toxicity of the surfactant. Bacterial adhesion to a hydrophobic substratum was more sensitive to surfactant treatment than adhesion to a hydrophilic substratum.
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Title
The effect of surfactants on the attachment of estuarine and marine bacteria to surfaces
Publication Details
Canadian Journal of Microbiology, Vol.31(3), pp.224-228