Depletion attractions drive bacterial capture on both non-fouling and adhesive surfaces, enhancing cell orientation.

ABSTRACT: Depletion attractions, occurring between surfaces immersed in a polymer solution, drive bacteria adhesion to a variety of surfaces. The latter include the surfaces of non-fouling coatings such as hydrated polyethylene glycol (PEG) layers but also, as demonstrated in this work, surfaces that are bacteria-adhesive, such as that of glass. Employing a flagella free E. coli strain, we demonstrate that cell adhesion on glass is enhanced by dissolved polyethylene oxide (PEO), exhibiting a faster rate and greater numbers of captured cells compared with the slower capture of the same cells on glass from a buffer solution. After removal of depletant, any cell retention appears to be governed by the substrate, with cells immediately released from non-fouling PEG surfaces but retained on glass.

SUBMITTER: Niu WA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9837788 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature