Table 1.
COMSTAT comparisons of quantitative differences in S. mutans UA159 biofilms formed in the presence and absence of Mn
| Mn-depleted | 50 μM Mn | p value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sucrosebiofilms | |||
| Biomass,μm3/μm 2 | 7.37±0.12 | 8.50±1.36 | 0.36 |
| Substratum occupied, % | 30.3±16.1 | 39.3±16.7 | 0.12 |
| Average thickness, μm | 14.1±2.4 | 14.2±1.0 | 0.98 |
| Roughness coefficient | 0.77±0.07 | 0.70±0.08 | 0.33 |
| Surface/biovolume ratio, μm 2/μm 3 | 1.79±0.04 | 1.34±0.12 | 0.004 |
| Nonsucrose biofilms | |||
| Biomass,μm3/μm 2 | 0.73±0.68 | 2.62±1.55 | <0.001 |
| Substratum occupied, % | 5.9±3.4 | 10.0±4.8 | 0.001 |
| Average thickness, μm | 1.8±2.1 | 9.9±7.2 | <0.001 |
| Roughness coefficient | 1.75±0.16 | 1.21±0.31 | <0.001 |
| Surface/biovolume ratio, μm 2/μm 3 | 2.56±0.49 | 2.77±0.48 | 0.13 |
Mean ± standard error of the mean (n = 3). Biomass: estimated value from total biovolume divided by the field area. Roughness coefficient is a unitless measure of the variation in biofilm thickness.