True about the bacterial capsule is following except -
Slime has a little affinity for basic dyes and is not visible in gram stained smears . Special capsule staining techniques are available usually employing copper salts as mordants. Capsules may be readily demonstrated by negative staining in wet films with India ink when they are seen as clear halos around the bacteria against a black ink Ref :Ananthanarayan & paniker's Textbook of microbioagainsth edition pg no 18
Prevents phagocytosis
Stains by Gram stain
Protects bacteria from enzymes
Lost by repeated subcultures
general microbiology