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Updated: Jul 6, 2026
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Automated, High-Throughput Detection of Bacterial Adherence to Host Cells
Published on: September 17, 2021
Increased adhesion of Enterococcus faecalis strains with bimodal electrophoretic mobility distributions
Annet E J van Merode1, Jérôme F L Duval, Henny C van der Mei
1Department of Biomedical Engineering, University Medical Center Groningen and University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Colloids and Surfaces. B, Biointerfaces
|March 25, 2008
Summary
Heterogeneous Enterococcus faecalis strains show higher initial adhesion to surfaces than homogeneous strains. This difference in biofilm development is linked to electrokinetic properties and electrostatic repulsion during later adhesion stages.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Biophysics
- Surface Science
Background:
- Initial microbial adhesion is crucial for biofilm formation.
- Surface properties like hydrophobicity and electrostatics influence adhesion.
- Enterococcus faecalis strains often exhibit heterogeneous electrokinetic subpopulations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the initial adhesion kinetics of heterogeneous and homogeneous Enterococcus faecalis strains.
- To determine the influence of electrokinetic heterogeneity on bacterial adhesion.
- To elucidate the forces governing early-stage biofilm development.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a parallel-plate flow chamber to study adhesion kinetics.
- Compared adhesion of five heterogeneous and five homogeneous E. faecalis strains.
- Quantified bacterial adhesion numbers and deposition rates over 4 hours.
Main Results:
- Heterogeneous E. faecalis strains adhered in significantly higher numbers (7.3 x 10^6 cm^-2) than homogeneous strains (1.9 x 10^6 cm^-2) after 4 hours.
- Initial deposition rates were similar for both heterogeneous (740 cm^-2 s^-1) and homogeneous (600 cm^-2 s^-1) strains.
- Lifshitz-Van der Waals forces appear to dominate initial bacterial deposition.
Conclusions:
- Bacterial electrokinetic heterogeneity significantly impacts later-stage adhesion, leading to increased biofilm formation.
- Electrostatic repulsion dynamics differ between homogeneous and heterogeneous cultures during biofilm development.
- Understanding these adhesion mechanisms is key for controlling biofilm formation.
