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Applied and Environmental Microbiology, August 2005, p. 4850-4855, Vol. 71, No. 8
0099-2240/05/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AEM.71.8.4850-4855.2005
Copyright © 2005, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Adhesion of Vibrio cholerae to Granular Starches

Hanan Gancz, Orly Niderman-Meyer,1,{dagger} Meir Broza,2 Yechezkel Kashi,1* and Eyal Shimoni1*

Department of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel,1 Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences and Science Education, University of Haifa, Oranim, Tivon 36006, Israel2

Received 6 December 2004/ Accepted 3 March 2005

Cholera is a severe diarrheal disease caused by specific serogroups of Vibrio cholerae that are pathogenic to humans. Cholera can become epidemic and deadly without adequate medical care. Appropriate rehydration therapy can reduce the mortality rate from as much as 50% of the affected individuals to <1%. Thus, oral rehydration therapy (ORT) is an important measure in the treatment of this disease. To further reduce the symptoms associated with cholera, improvements in oral rehydration solution (ORS) by starch incorporation were suggested. Here, we report that V. cholerae adheres to starch granules incorporated in ORS. Adhesion of 98% of the cells was observed within 2 min when cornstarch granules were used. Other starches showed varied adhesion rates, indicating that starch source and composition play an important role in the interaction of V. cholerae and starch granules. Sugars metabolized by V. cholerae showed a repressive effect on the adhesion process. The possible mechanisms involved are discussed. Comparing V. cholerae adhesion with the adhesion of other pathogens suggests the involvement of starch degradation capabilities. This adhesion to granular starch can be used to improve ORT.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, The Technion, Haifa 32000, Israel. Phone for Yechezkel Kashi: 972-4-8293074. Fax: 972-4-8293399. E-mail: kashi@techunix.technion.ac.il. Phone for Eyal Shimoni: 972-4-8292484. Fax: 972-4-8293399. E-mail: eshimoni{at}techunix.technion.ac.il.

{dagger} H.G. and O.N.-M. contributed equally to this work.

{ddagger} Present address: Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, 4301 Jones Bridge Rd., Bethesda, MD 20814.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, August 2005, p. 4850-4855, Vol. 71, No. 8
0099-2240/05/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AEM.71.8.4850-4855.2005
Copyright © 2005, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.





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