title: A study of pH effects on the bacterial surface physicochemical properties of Acinetobacter baumannii.
abstract: The first step in the biofilm formation is the bacterial attachment to solid surfaces, which is dependent on the bacteria cell surface physico-chemical properties. The purpose of this work was to analyze the effect of pH on the physicochemical cell surface properties of Acinetobacter baumannii by two different methods. The cell surface properties were evaluated using the microbial adhesion to solvents method (MATS) and contact angle measurements (CAM). MATS technique allowed us to enlighten that A. baumannii was hydrophilic at the different values of pH. It was found that at a desired pH of 6.5, the strain presents a maximum and stable value of electron-donor characteristic, while the electron acceptor character increased as the pH increased. Regardless of the methods employed, the obtained results using MATS and CAM confirmed the influence of the pH on the surface physicochemical properties of A. baumannii. The cell surface electron-donor and electron-acceptor character at pH 6.5 was found to be quite similar using both methods.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire des Biofilms et Biocontamination des Matériaux, Faculté des Sciences, Université Badji Mokhtar, Annaba, Algeria. rdjeribi@yahoo.fr
authors.forename: Ryad
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Djeribi
authors.forename: Zahia
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Boucherit
authors.forename: Warda
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Bouchloukh
authors.forename: Wafa
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zouaoui
authors.forename: Hassan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Latrache
authors.forename: Fatima
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hamadi
authors.forename: Bouzid
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Menaa
mesh_terms: D040981:Acinetobacter baumannii / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion / Q000502:physiology*; D018441:Biofilms / Q000254:growth & development; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D013499:Surface Properties