FIG 3.
NO-np interferes with adhesion of MRSA strain 6498 to glass-bottom plates. (A) Adhesion to a solid substrate was investigated using poly-d-lysine-coated 35-mm glass-bottom plates and confocal microscopy. Bacteria (106 per plate) were allowed to adhere for 90 min in the absence and presence of np or NO-np. After treatment, the plates were rinsed to remove nonadherent cells, attached bacteria were stained with SYTO9 (green fluorescence), images were taken, and the numbers of attached bacteria were counted. Then, the percentage of attached bacteria treated with np or NO-np was calculated relative to the count for the untreated control. Bars represent the averages of five replicates, and error bars denote SDs. Statistical significance (**, P < 0.01; ****, P < 0.0001) was calculated by ANOVA. (B) Representative images of adhesion by control and np- or NO-np-treated MRSA cells. Scale bar, 10 μm. This experiment was performed twice, with similar results obtained each time.