title: Self-organised nanoarchitecture of titanium surfaces influences the attachment of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria.
abstract: The surface nanotopography and architecture of medical implant devices are important factors that can control the extent of bacterial attachment. The ability to prevent bacterial attachment substantially reduces the possibility of a patient receiving an implant contracting an implant-borne infection. We now demonstrated that two bacterial strains, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, exhibited different attachment affinities towards two types of molecularly smooth titanium surfaces each possessing a different nanoarchitecture. It was found that the attachment of S. aureus cells was not restricted on surfaces that had an average roughness (S a) less than 0.5 nm. In contrast, P. aeruginosa cells were found to be unable to colonise surfaces possessing an average roughness below 1 nm, unless sharp nanoprotrusions of approximately 20 nm in size and spaced 35.0 nm apart were present. It is postulated that the enhanced attachment of P. aeruginosa onto the surfaces possessing these nanoprotrusions was facilitated by the ability of the cell membrane to stretch over the tips of the nanoprotrusions as confirmed through computer simulation, together with a concomitant increase in the level of extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) being produced by the bacterial cells.
authors.affiliation: School of Science, Faculty of Science, Engineering and Technology, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Vi Khanh
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Truong
authors.forename: Vy T H
authors.initials: VT
authors.lastname: Pham
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Medvedev
authors.forename: Rimma
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lapovok
authors.forename: Yuri
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Estrin
authors.forename: Terry C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Lowe
authors.forename: Vladimir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Baulin
authors.forename: Veselin
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Boshkovikj
authors.forename: Christopher J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Fluke
authors.forename: Russell J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Crawford
authors.forename: Elena P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Ivanova
mesh_terms: D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D006801:Humans; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000502:physiology*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000502:physiology*; D013499:Surface Properties; D014025:Titanium
chemical_list: D014025:Titanium