title: On the relations between the elemental surface composition of yeasts and bacteria and their charge and hydrophobicity.
abstract: The elemental surface composition of eleven microorganisms was determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Bacteria could be distinguished from yeasts by higher nitrogen and phosphate concentrations. Overall physico-chemical properties, electrical charge and hydrophobicity, were also investigated: the former by electrophoretic mobility measurements, the latter by contact angle and by hydrophobic interaction chromatography. Phosphate plays the major role in determining the surface electrostatic charge. A correlation is observed between the N/P atomic concentration ratio and the electrostatic charge. In bacteria, hydrophobicity is directly related to concentration of carbon in hydrocarbon form and inversely related to oxygen concentration or to the N/P ratio. For yeasts, a positive correlation is found between hydrophobicity and the N/P ratio, pointing at the role of proteins in determining the hydrophobicity.
authors.affiliation: Unité de Chimie des Interfaces, Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mozes
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Léonard
authors.forename: P G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Rouxhet
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000032:analysis*; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D002627:Chemistry, Physical; D004586:Electrophoresis; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007526:Isoelectric Point; D012995:Solubility; D013057:Spectrum Analysis; D013499:Surface Properties; D014867:Water; D015003:Yeasts / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D014867:Water