Use of bacterial polysaccharides for biofilm inhibition

Abstract

A method comprises preventing or inhibiting bacterial adhesion and/or bacterial biofilm development by treating a substrate with a composition of a soluble group II capsular polysaccharide obtained from a bacterial strain.

1 . A method for preventing or inhibiting bacterial adhesion and/or bacterial biofilm development on a substrate, comprising:
 treating said substrate with a composition of a soluble group II-like capsular polysaccharide obtained from a bacterial strain.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said soluble group II-like capsular polysaccharide is obtained from the supernatant of a culture of bacteria selected from the group consisting of  Escherichia coli, Hemophilus influenzae  and  Neisseria meningitidis.    
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said soluble group II-like capsular polysaccharide is obtained as a purified fraction. 
     
     
         4 . A composition, comprising:
 a soluble group II-like capsular polysaccharide obtained from a bacterial strain, wherein said composition inhibits bacterial adhesion and/or bacterial biofilm development.   
     
     
         5 . The composition of  claim 4 , which comprises a purified fraction of the supernatant of a culture of bacteria selected from the group consisting of  E. coli, H. influenzae  and  N. meningitidis.    
     
     
         6 . A process for purifying an anti-biofilm group II-like capsular polysaccharide obtained from a bacterial strain, comprising the following steps:
 (i) separating the supernatant of a culture of a bacterial strain expressing a group II-like capsule from the bacterial cells,   (ii) precipitating the polysaccharides present in the obtained supernatant, and   (iii) optionally resuspending the precipitate.   
     
     
         7 . The process of  claim 6 , wherein said bacterial strain expressing a group II-like capsule is selected from the group consisting of  E. coli, H. influenzae  and  N. meningitidis.    
     
     
         8 . The process of  claim 7 , wherein said bacterial strain is a uropathogenic  E. coli.    
     
     
         9 . The process of  claim 6 , wherein the separation in step (i) is performed by filter-sterilization and/or by centrifugation of the culture. 
     
     
         10 . The process of  claim 6 , wherein the precipitation in step (ii) is performed with three volumes of ethanol for one volume of supernatant. 
     
     
         11 . The process of  claim 6 , wherein the precipitate obtained in step (ii) is resuspended in water, dialyzed against deionised water, and then lyophilized before step (iii). 
     
     
         12 . The process of  claim 6 , further comprising an additional step (iv) of purification by ion exchange chromatography. 
     
     
         13 . The process of  claim 12 , wherein step (iv) is performed with a DEAE-Sepharose column. 
     
     
         14 . The process of  claim 12 , wherein the resuspension in step (iii) is done in TrisHCl 20 mM, pH 7.5, with 25% propanol-1, and the column of step (iv) is equilibrated with the same buffer. 
     
     
         15 . The process of  claim 12 , wherein a centrifugation step is performed between step (iii) and step (iv) to discard an insoluble fraction. 
     
     
         16 . The process of  claim 12 , wherein said group II-like capsular polysaccharide is eluted with 300 mM NaCl in TrisHCl 20 mM, pH 7.5, 25% propanol-1. 
     
     
         17 . A method for preventing or inhibiting bacterial adhesion and/or bacterial biofilm development on a substrate, comprising:
 treating said substrate with a composition of a soluble group II capsular polysaccharide obtained from a bacterial strain as prepared by the process according to  claim 6 .   
     
     
         18 . The composition of  claim 4 , which is formulated for preventive or therapeutic administration to a subject in need thereof. 
     
     
         19 . An anti-biofilm coating, comprising:
 a group II-like capsular polysaccharide obtained from a bacterial strain.   
     
     
         20 . The anti-biofilm coating of  claim 19 , wherein said group II-like capsular polysaccharide is obtained from a bacterial strain selected from the group consisting of  Escherichia coli, Hemophilus influenzae  and  Neisseria meningitidis.    
     
     
         21 . An anti-biofilm coating, comprising:
 an applied film of the composition of  claim 4 .   
     
     
         22 . A medical or industrial device which is at least partly coated with the anti-biofilm coating according to  claim 19 . 
     
     
         23 . A composition, comprising:
 a soluble group II capsular polysaccharide obtained from a bacterial strain obtained through the process according to  claim 6 .   
     
     
         24 . The composition of  claim 23 , which is formulated for preventive or therapeutic administration to a subject in need thereof.