Bacterial factors influencing adhesion of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains to a poly(ethylene oxide) brush.
Most bacterial strains adhere poorly to poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)-brush coatings, with the exception of a Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain. The aim of this study was to find factors determining whether P. aeruginosa strains do or do not adhere to a PEO-brush coating in a parallel plate flow chamber. On the basis of their adhesion, a distinction could be made between three adhesive and three non-adhesive strains of P. aeruginosa, while bacterial motilities and zeta potentials were comparable for all six strains. However, water contact angles indicated that the adhesive strains were much more hydrophobic than the non-adhesive strains. Furthermore, only adhesive strains released surfactive extracellular substances, which may be engaged in attractive interactions with the PEO chains. Atomic force microscopy showed that the adhesion energy, measured from the retract curves of a bacterial-coated cantilever from a brush coating, was significantly more negative for adhesive strains than for non-adhesive strains (P<0.001). Through surface thermodynamic and extended-DLVO (Derjaguin, Landau, Verwey, Overbeek) analyses, these stronger adhesion energies could be attributed to acid-base interactions. However, the energies of adhesion of all strains to a brush coating were small when compared with their energies of adhesion to a glass surface. Accordingly, even the adhesive P. aeruginosa strains could be easily removed from a PEO-brush coating by the passage of a liquid-air interface. In conclusion, cell surface hydrophobicity and surfactant release are the main factors involved in adhesion of P. aeruginosa strains to PEO-brush coatings.
Roosjen
Astrid
A
Department of Biomedical Engineering, University Medical Center Groningen, and University of Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, 9713 AV Groningen, The Netherlands.
Busscher
Henk J
HJ
Department of Biomedical Engineering, University Medical Center Groningen, and University of Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, 9713 AV Groningen, The Netherlands.
Norde
Willem
W
Laboratory of Physical Chemistry and Colloid Science, Wageningen University, Dreijenplein 6, 6703 HB Wageningen, The Netherlands.|Department of Biomedical Engineering, University Medical Center Groningen, and University of Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, 9713 AV Groningen, The Netherlands.
van der Mei
Henny C
HC
Department of Biomedical Engineering, University Medical Center Groningen, and University of Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, 9713 AV Groningen, The Netherlands.
D001422:Bacterial Adhesion / Q000187:drug effects*; D005027:Ethylene Oxide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D011108:Polymers / Q000494:pharmacology; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000494:pharmacology; D013499:Surface Properties; D013816:Thermodynamics
D011108:Polymers; D012822:Silicon Dioxide; D005027:Ethylene Oxide