The formation of small bacterial clusters, called microcolonies, is the first step towards the formation of bacterial biofilms. The human pathogen Neisseria gonorrhoeae requires type IV pili (T4P) for microcolony formation and for surface motility. Here, we investigated the effect of oxygen on the dynamics of microcolony formation. We found that an oxygen concentration exceeding 3 μM is required for formation and maintenance of microcolonies. Depletion of proton motive force triggers microcolony disassembly. Disassembly of microcolonies is actively driven by T4P retraction. Using laser tweezers we showed that under aerobic conditions T4P-T4P interaction forces exceed 50 pN. Under anaerobic conditions T4P-T4P interaction is severely inhibited. We conclude that oxygen is required for gonococcal microcolony formation by enhancing pilus-pilus interaction.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/c5ib00018a | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
The role of fluid friction in streamer formation and biofilm growth.
NPJ Biofilms Microbiomes
January 2025
FLOW, Department of Engineering Mechanics, KTH, Stockholm, Sweden.
Biofilms constitute one of the most common forms of living matter, playing an increasingly important role in technology, health, and ecology. While it is well established that biofilm growth and morphology are highly dependent on the external flow environment, the precise role of fluid friction has remained elusive. We grew Bacillus subtilis biofilms on flat surfaces of a channel in a laminar flow at wall shear stresses spanning one order of magnitude (τ = 0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFComparison of antimicrobial efficacy and therapeutic index properties for common wound cleansing solutions, focusing on solutions containing PHMB.
GMS Hyg Infect Control
December 2024
5D Health Protection Group Ltd, Liverpool, UK.
Background: Surgical site infections (SSIs) have been shown to increase patient morbidity and mortality, impact on quality of life and place a significant economic burden on healthcare systems worldwide. Irrigation using wound cleansing and antiseptic effective solutions during surgical procedures is a key part of SSI prevention. The optimal solution would have minimal cytotoxicity to the patient while maintaining a minimum concentration required for antimicrobial activity necessary to prevent opportunistic pathogens and biofilm formation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSwarming bacteria exhibit developmental phase transitions to establish scattered colonies in new regions.
ISME J
January 2025
Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics, Biodesign Institue, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287.
The collective surface motility and swarming behavior of microbes play a crucial role in the formation of polymicrobial communities, shaping ecosystems as diverse as animal and human microbiota, plant rhizospheres, and various aquatic environments. In the human oral microbiota, T9SS-driven gliding bacteria transport non-motile microbes and bacteriophages as cargo, thereby influencing the spatial organization and structural complexity of these polymicrobial communities. However, the physical rules governing the dispersal of T9SS-driven bacterial swarms are barely understood.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEffects of epigallocatechin gallate on the development of matrix-rich biofilm.
Biofouling
January 2025
Department of Microbiology, American Dental Association Forsyth Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
In this study, we evaluated the impact of Epigalocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) on biofilm development for 24 and 46 h using high-resolution confocal laser scanning microscopy. EGCG treatment led to the formation of interspaced exopolysaccharide (EPS)-microcolony complexes unevenly distributed on the surface of hydroxyapatite disc, forming a thinner and less complex biofilm structure with significantly reduced biomass, matrix volume, and thickness compared to the NaCl treated group (negative control). At 46 h, the biofilm of the EGCG-treatment group failed to form the bacterial-EPS superstructures which is characteristic of the biofilm in the negative control group.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBacterial Communities and Their Role in Bacterial Infections.
Front Biosci (Elite Ed)
December 2024
Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Plants and Microorganisms - Subdivision of the Federal State Budgetary Research Institution Saratov Federal Scientific Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IBPPM RAS), 410049 Saratov, Russia.
Since infections associated with microbial communities threaten human health, research is increasingly focusing on the development of biofilms and strategies to combat them. Bacterial communities may include bacteria of one or several species. Therefore, examining all the microbes and identifying individual community bacteria responsible for the infectious process is important.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!