Role of five temperatures of growth (10, 20, 30, 37 and 40oC) in the specific and nonspecific force interactions, and the mechanical properties of bacterial surface biopolymers as they relate to the adhesion of pathogenic L. monocytogenes EGDe to a model surface of silicon nitride in water was investigated using atomic force microscopy (AFM). Our results indicated a higher adhesion force for the bacteria grown at 30oC, followed by 37, 40, 20 and 10oC, respectively. To decouple the measured adhesion forces into the specific and nonspecific force components, Poisson statistical analysis was applied to the AFM adhesion data. The specific and nonspecific interaction forces showed the same temperature dependency; both were superior at 30oC. The higher adhesion observed at 30oC compared to the adhesion at other temperatures was associated with longer and denser bacterial surface biopolymers as predicted from fitting a model of steric repulsion to the approach distance-force data.

Role of growth temperature in the specific and nonspecific force interactions and the mechanical properties of bacterial surface biopolymers as they relate to the adhesion of pathogenic <i>Listeria monocytogenes</i> EGDe to silicon nitride

243rd National Meeting (2012)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.

Role of growth temperature in the specific and nonspecific force interactions and the mechanical properties of bacterial surface biopolymers as they relate to the adhesion of pathogenic Listeria monocytogenes EGDe to silicon nitride