This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Etienne, O. Articles by Egles, C. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Etienne, O. Articles by Egles, C.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, October 2004, p. 3662-3669, Vol. 48, No. 10
0066-4804/04/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/AAC.48.10.3662-3669.2004
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Multilayer Polyelectrolyte Films Functionalized by Insertion of Defensin: a New Approach to Protection of Implants from Bacterial Colonization

O. Etienne,^1,2 C. Picart,¹ C. Taddei,² Y. Haikel,² J. L. Dimarcq,³ P. Schaaf,⁴ J. C. Voegel,¹ J. A. Ogier,¹ and C. Egles^1*

Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Unité 595,¹ Faculté de Chirurgie Dentaire, Université Louis Pasteur,² Institut Charles Sadron, UPR 22 CNRS, Strasbourg,⁴ Entomed SA, Illkirch, France³

Received 10 February 2004/ Returned for modification 25 May 2004/ Accepted 20 June 2004

Infection of implanted materials by bacteria constitutes one of the most serious complications following prosthetic surgery. In the present study, we developed a new strategy based on the insertion of an antimicrobial peptide (defensin from Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes) into polyelectrolyte multilayer films built by the alternate deposition of polyanions and polycations. Quartz crystal microbalance and streaming potential measurements were used to follow step by step the construction of the multilayer films and embedding of the defensin within the films. Antimicrobial assays were performed with two strains: Micrococcus luteus (a gram-positive bacterium) and Escherichia coli D22 (a gram-negative bacterium). The inhibition of E. coli D22 growth at the surface of defensin-functionalized films was found to be 98% when 10 antimicrobial peptide layers were inserted in the film architecture. Noticeably, the biofunctionalization could be achieved only when positively charged poly(L-lysine) was the outermost layer of the film. On the basis of the results of bacterial adhesion experiments observed by confocal or electron microscopy, these observations could result from the close interaction of the bacteria with the positively charged ends of the films, which allows defensin to interact with the bacterial membrane structure. These results open new possibilities for the use of such easily built and functionalized architectures onto any type of implantable biomaterial. The modified surfaces are active against microbial infection and represent a novel means of local host protection.

---

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Unité 595, 11, rue Humann, 67085 Strasbourg Cedex, France. Phone: 33 (0)3 90 24 33 82. Fax: 33 (0)3 90 24 33 79. E-mail: christophe.egles{at}odonto-ulp.u-strasbg.fr.

---

Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, October 2004, p. 3662-3669, Vol. 48, No. 10
0066-4804/04/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/AAC.48.10.3662-3669.2004
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Etienne, O., Picart, C., Taddei, C., Keller, P., Hubsch, E., Schaaf, P., Voegel, J.C., Haikel, Y., Ogier, J.A., Egles, C. (2006). Polyelectrolyte Multilayer Film Coating and Stability at the Surfaces of Oral Prosthesis Base Polymers: an in vitro and in vivo Study. JDR 85: 44-48 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Gibson, G., Nelson, F. R.T., Fyhrie, D. (2005). On the Horizon From the ORS. J Am Acad Orthop Surg 13: 428-429 [Full Text]