Effect of antibodies to agglutinogens 1 and 2, filamentous hemagglutinin and pertussis toxin on formation of Bordetella pertussis biofilms on abiotic substrate

Aim. Study of the effect of antibodies to agglutinogens 1 and 2, filamentous hemagglutinin (FHA) and pertussis toxin (PT) on the formation of biofilms by Bordetella pertussis strains on the abiotic substrate.Materials and methods. Vaccine-derived and freshly isolated strains of B. pertussis were used. Cultures of strains grown on a dense nutrient medium were used as an inoculum for obtaining biofilms. The intensity of biofilm formation in round-bottomed polystyrene 96-well plates in the presence of antisera to agglutinogens 1 and 2, antiserum to FHA, and monoclonal antibodies (MСА) to the S1, S2, and S3 subunits of PT was evaluated by staining with 0.1% gentian-violet solution.Results. Most of the studied strains were sensitive to antibodies, which was manifested in complete suppression of biofilm formation. All strains were sensitive to antiserum to agglutinogen 1, antiserum to FHA, and MCA to the S2 subunit of KT. Three out of 4 studied strains with this agglutinogen in their composition were sensitive to antiserum to agglutinogen 2: No. 475 (serotype 1.2.3), No. 317 (serotype 1.2.3) and No. 178 (serotype 1.2.0). Relative resistance to antiserum was detected only in serotype 1.2.0 strain No. 305, but with minimal dilution, the intensity of biofilm formation was 1.8 times lower than in the control group. Strains No. 703 (serotype 1.0.3) and No. 287 (serotype 1.0.3) that did not have agglutinogen 2 were resistant to antiserum. Four and 5 out of the 6 strains used were sensitive to the S1 and S3 subunits of PT, respectively. Strain No. 305 was resistant to MCA to the S1 and S3 subunits, and strain No. 287 to MCA to the S1 subunit. At the same time, the intensity of biofilm formation was 2 and 1.8 times lower than in the control at the minimum MCA dilution.Conclusion. These data indicate that the growth of biofilms of B. pertussis strains is suppressed by antibodies both to the surface structures of the microbial cell (agglutinogens 1 and 2, FHA) and to the S1, S2 and S3 subunits of PT.