A marine bacterial adhesion microplate test using the DAPI fluorescent dye: a new method to screen antifouling agents.

AIMS To develop a method to screen antifouling agents against marine bacterial adhesion as a sensitive, rapid and quantitative microplate fluorescent test. METHODS AND RESULTS Our experimental method is based on a natural biofilm formed by mono-incubation of the marine bacterium Pseudoalteromonas sp. D41 in sterile natural sea water in a 96-well polystyrene microplate. The 4'6-diamidino-2-phenylindole dye was used to quantify adhered bacteria in each well. The total measured fluorescence in the wells was correlated with the amount of bacteria showing a detection limit of one bacterium per 5 microm(2) and quantifying 2 x 10(7) to 2 x 10(8) bacteria adhered per cm(2). The antifouling properties of three commercial surface-active agents and chlorine were tested by this method in the prevention of adhesion and also in the detachment of already adhered bacteria. The marine bacterial adhesion inhibition rate depending on the agent concentration showed a sigmoid shaped dose-response curve. CONCLUSIONS This test is well adapted for a rapid and quantitative first screening of antifouling agents directly in seawater in the early steps of marine biofilm formation. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY In contrast to the usual screenings of antifouling products which detect a bactericidal activity, this test is more appropriate to screen antifouling agents for bacterial adhesion removal or bacterial adhesion inhibition activities. This screening test focuses on the antifouling properties of the products, especially the initial steps of marine biofilm formation.