Berlin 2024 – scientific programme
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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik
BP 22: Bacterial Biophysics II
BP 22.1: Talk
Wednesday, March 20, 2024, 15:00–15:15, H 0112
Heterogeneous distribution of the adhesion capability across the cell envelope of Staphylococcus aureus cells — •Hannah Heintz1, Christian Spengler1, Erik Maikranz2, Michael Klatt1,3, and Karin Jacobs1 — 1Department of Experimental Physics, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany — 2Department of Theoretical Physics, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany — 3Department of Physics, Princeton University, Jadwin Hall, Princeton, USA
Understanding how a bacterium attaches to a surface is particularly important for controlling biofilms. Bacterial adhesion is known to be mediated by thermally fluctuating cell wall macromolecules [1], but the distribution of these adhesive-supporting macromolecules across the cell envelope is still unknown. We apply single cell force spectroscopy to study the adhesion force of Staphylococcus aureus. As a new approach, a sinusoidal PDMS surface is used, and force-distance curves are recorded along a path perpendicular to the structured surface. This allows for probing contact points distributed over almost a hemisphere of an individual bacterium. The analysis of the adhesion strength data shows that some bacterial cells display particularly strong adhesion at certain locations [2]. To obtain a complementary picture, Monte Carlo simulations are used to interpret the resulting adhesion profiles. Simple geometric considerations couldn’t explain the origin of all adhesion profiles. Therefore, angle-dependent molecule-substrate interactions must be considered. [1] Spengler, C, et al., Front. Mech. Eng., 7:661370 (2021). [2] Spengler, C., et al., Softmatter, D3SM01045G (2023).
Keywords: Bacterial adhesion; Single cell force spectroscopy