Dresden 2009 – scientific programme

Parts | Days | Selection | Search | Downloads | Help

BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 17: Poster II

BP 17.22: Poster

Wednesday, March 25, 2009, 17:15–19:45, P3

Characterisation of Staphylococcus aureus Wall Teichoic Acids and their functional components with Vibrational and Photoemission Spectroscopy in thin films — •Florian Latteyer¹, Timo Birkenstock², Heiko Peisert¹, Andreas Peschel², and Thomas Chassé¹ — ¹University of Tübingen, Institute for Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, Auf der Morgenstelle 8, D-72076 Tübingen — ²University of Tübingen, Medical Microbiology and Hygiene Department, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Str. 6, D-72076 Tübingen

Staphylococcus aureus plays in medical applications a key role. The biofilm formation on surfaces, especially on implants and catheters, is liable for infections in humans. It could be shown in the past that wall teichoic acids, as a part of the bacterial cell wall, are responsible for the initial biofilm formation and hence for the adsorption on surfaces. By genetical manipulation of S. aureus d-Alanine has been removed as part of the wall teichoic acid. After the elimination of d-Alanine no adsorption and biofilm formation on surfaces was monitored. D-alanine is therefore supposed to be as an adsorption anchor. In this work we present IR-, Raman and XPS spectra of wall teichoic acids measured on Si substrates. D-alanine has been identified with his zwitterionic structure in the wall teichoic acid and hence contribute a positive charge to the structure. Thin films of d-Alanine and Glycerolphosphat are prepared and compared with the wall teichoic acid spectra. Structural characteristics of both molecules are investigated and compared with the spectra of the wall teichoic acid. During the investigation of D-alanine with soft x-rays a decomposition was monitored.