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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Microbiol.
Sec. Infectious Agents and Disease
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1488114
This article is part of the Research Topic Recent advances in Campylobacter research View all 9 articles

Evaluation of physical and chemical isolation methods to extract and purify Campylobacter jejuni extracellular polymeric substances

Provisionally accepted
Natalija Pavlinjek Natalija Pavlinjek 1,2Anja Klančnik Anja Klančnik 1,3*Jerica Sabotič Jerica Sabotič 2
  • 1 Department of Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Biotechnical, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
  • 2 Institut Jožef Stefan (IJS), Ljubljana, Slovenia
  • 3 University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    The pathogenic bacterium Campylobacter jejuni is a major food safety concern as it can form biofilms that increase its survival and infective potential. Biofilms consist of microbial cells and extracellular matrix (ECM), which is made of water and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), which are critical for structural integrity and pathogenicity. The aim of this study was to optimize a protocol for the isolation of C. jejuni ECM. We employed eight physical and chemical isolation methods to extract and purify ECM, followed by different qualitative and quantitative analyses using gel electrophoresis and spectroscopy. This comprehensive approach enabled the evaluation of ECM composition in terms of polysaccharides, proteins, and extracellular DNA. The isolation methods resulted in different yields and purities of the extracted ECM components. Centrifugation in combination with chemical treatments proved to be most effective, isolating higher concentrations of polysaccharides and proteins. Additionally, extraction with ether solution facilitated the recovery of high-molecular-weight extracellular DNA. Overall, we provide a refined methodology for ECM extraction from C. jejuni. As polysaccharides and proteins participate in biofilm stability and microbial communication, and extracellular DNA participates in genetic exchange and virulence, our study contributes towards a better understanding of the persistence of this pathogen in the food industry.

    Keywords: Campylobacter jejuni, Biofilm, Extracellular polymeric substances, Isolation methods, extraction and purification

    Received: 29 Aug 2024; Accepted: 07 Oct 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Pavlinjek, Klančnik and Sabotič. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Anja Klančnik, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.