Slime production of Staphylococcus epidermidis: increased bacterial adherence and accumulation onto pure titanium.

In an in vitro study using Staphylococcus epidermidis RP 62 A, a slime-producing strain and its isogenic slime-negative mutant M7, we demonstrated that both strains adhere to pure titanium discs with significantly higher colony counts for the slime-producing strain. The colony count was dependent on temperature, time and strain. Prolonged incubation time (24 h) under growth conditions leads to higher colony counts for the slime-producing strain RP 62 A. As the slime-negative mutant M7 can adhere to, but not form multiple layers on metallic surfaces, increase of incubation time does not produce higher colony counts on the metallic surface. We conclude that slime production is important for adherence and subsequent accumulation of S. epidermidis onto pure titanium discs in vitro.