Elasticity-mediated nematiclike bacterial organization in model extracellular DNA matrix.
DNA is a common extracellular matrix component of bacterial biofilms. We find that bacteria can spontaneously order in a matrix of aligned concentrated DNA, in which rod-shaped cells of Pseudomonas aeruginosa follow the orientation of extended DNA chains. The alignment of bacteria is ensured by elasticity and liquid crystalline properties of the DNA matrix. These findings show how behavior of planktonic bacteria may be modified in extracellular polymeric substances of biofilms and illustrate the potential of using complex fluids to manipulate embedded nanosized and microsized active particles.
Smalyukh
Ivan I
II
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA. ivan.smalyukh@colorado.edu
Butler
John
J
Shrout
Joshua D
JD
Parsek
Matthew R
MR
Wong
Gerard C L
GC
D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria / Q000378:metabolism*; D018441:Biofilms; D001703:Biophysics / Q000379:methods; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry*; D004548:Elasticity; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000378:metabolism*; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal / Q000379:methods; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence / Q000379:methods; D008954:Models, Biological; D010933:Plankton / Q000382:microbiology; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000378:metabolism
D004247:DNA