Sensitivity of bacterial coaggregation to chelating agents

Coaggregation between pairs of microorganisms was found to be inhibited by chelating agents, such as acetylacetone, citrate, EDTA and carboxymethylcel lulose. Assays were conducted on eight pairs of periodontopathogens and one pair consisting of Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The inhi bitory effects of the chelating agents were reversible except for Actinomyc es naeslundii 12104, the adhesin of which was irreversibly inactivated. Eve n though the bacteria possessed different kinds of adhesins, their sensitiv ity to chelating agents appears to be a common property. Non-toxic chelatin g agents, such as carboxymethylcellulose and citrate, may prove to be usefu l anti-adhesins. (C) 2000 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. on behalf of t he Federation of European Microbiological Societies.