Direct visualization of gram-negative bacterial lipopolysaccharide self-assembly

Bacterial lipopolysaccharides (LPS) are outer cell wall components of gram-negative bacteria that may cause septic shock in mammals. The exact morphology of LPS when interacting with macromolecular complexes of the septic shock pathway in blood is still uncertain. Here, the geometry and morphology of hydrated bacterial LPS, dispersed in solution, at and below its the critical aggregate concentration, were directly examined by tapping mode atomic force microscopy (TMAFM) and dynamic light scattering. High-resolution phase-shift TMAFM images of hydrated LPS of Salmonella minnesota Re595, Salmonella typhimurium, and Escherichia coli 0111:B4 adsorbed on mica surfaces unveiled nanosized lipidic particles with a species-specific organization. The complex hydrodynamic geometry exhibited by LPS in dilute suspensions may have consequences for the interpretation of LPS biological activity in the host immune response.