2017/07/13 by Tagbo H. R. Niepa, Niepa, Tagbo H. R., Liana Vaccari +9 · 1 citation
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Materials Science · #Bacterial biofilms and quorum sensing #FOS: Physical sciences #Lipid Membrane Structure and Behavior #Pickering emulsions and particle stabilization #Soft Condensed Matter (cond-mat.soft)
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.1707.04337
openalex publication_date 2017/07/13 · openalex created_date 2022/10/06 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
Bacteria at fluid interfaces endure physical and chemical stresses unique to\nthese highly asymmetric environments. The responses of Pseudomonas aeruginosa\nPAO1 and PA14 to a hexadecane-water interface are compared. PAO1 cells form\nelastic films of bacteria, excreted polysaccharides and proteins, whereas PA14\ncells move actively without forming an elastic film. Studies of PAO1 mutants\nshow that, unlike solid-supported biofilms, elastic interfacial film formation\noccurs in the absence of flagella, pili, or certain polysaccharides. Highly\ninduced genes identified in transcriptional profiling include those for\nputative enzymes and a carbohydrate metabolism enzyme, alkB2; this latter gene\nis not upregulated in PA14 cells. Notably, PAO1 mutants lacking the alkB2 gene\nfail to form an elastic layer. Rather, they form an active film like that\nformed by PA14. These findings demonstrate that genetic expression is altered\nby interfacial confinement, and suggest that the ability to metabolize alkanes\nmay play a role in elastic film formation at oil-water interfaces.\n