title: Imaging Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilm Extracellular Polymer Scaffolds with Amphiphilic Carbon Dots.
abstract: Biofilm formation is a critical facet of pathogenesis and resilience of human, animal, and plant bacteria. Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) constitute the physical scaffolding for bacterial biofilms and thus play central roles in their development and virulence. We show that newly synthesized amphiphilic fluorescent carbon dots (C-dots) readily bind to the EPS scaffold of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a major biofilm-forming pathogen, resulting in unprecedented microscopic visualization of the EPS structural features. Fluorescence microscopy analysis utilizing the C-dots reveals that the P. aeruginosa EPS matrix exhibits a remarkable dendritic morphology. The experiments further illuminate the growth kinetics of the EPS and the effect of external factors such as temperature. We also show that the amphiphilic C-dot platform enabled screening of substances disrupting biofilm development, specifically quorum sensing inhibitors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, and ‡Ilse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science & Technology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev , Beer Sheva 84105, Israel.
authors.forename: Margarita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ritenberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, and ‡Ilse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science & Technology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev , Beer Sheva 84105, Israel.
authors.forename: Sukhendu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nandi
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, and ‡Ilse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science & Technology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev , Beer Sheva 84105, Israel.
authors.forename: Sofiya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kolusheva
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, and ‡Ilse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science & Technology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev , Beer Sheva 84105, Israel.
authors.forename: Rambabu
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dandela
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, and ‡Ilse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science & Technology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev , Beer Sheva 84105, Israel.
authors.forename: Michael M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Meijler
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, and ‡Ilse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science & Technology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev , Beer Sheva 84105, Israel.
authors.forename: Raz
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jelinek
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D018441:Biofilms / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development*; D002244:Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence / Q000379:methods; D061848:Optical Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D011552:Pseudomonas Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D053038:Quorum Sensing / Q000187:drug effects; D013501:Surface-Active Agents / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D013501:Surface-Active Agents; D002244:Carbon