The partitioning of Staphylococcus epidermidis in aqueous two-phase systems

The surface properties of two isolates of Staphylococcus epidermis were compared by cell partitioning in aqueous two-phase systems. Strain K805 was isolated from the cerebrospinal fluid of a child with a shunt infection and strain 1105 was obtained from human faeces and not known to have caused infection. Strain K805 was significantly more negatively charged than strain 1105 but there was no significant difference in hydrophobicity when cultures were grown for 18 h. However, prolonged incubation of strain K805 caused the production of extracellular slime and a marked increase in surface hydrophobicity. Both strains showed enhanced growth in biphasic cultures.