Appendage-mediated surface adherence of Sulfolobus solfataricus
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Updated: Jun 19, 2026

Adherence of Bacteria to Plant Surfaces Measured in the Laboratory
Published on: June 19, 2018
Behnam Zolghadr1, Andreas Klingl, Andrea Koerdt
1Independent Junior Research Group Molecular Biology of Archaea, Max-Planck-Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Karl-von-Frisch-Strasse, 35043 Marburg, Germany.
Abstract:
Attachment of microorganisms to surfaces is a prerequisite for colonization and biofilm formation. The hyperthermophilic crenarchaeote Sulfolobus solfataricus was able to attach to a variety of surfaces, such as glass, mica, pyrite, and carbon-coated gold grids. Deletion mutant analysis showed that for initial attachment the presence of flagella and pili is essential. Attached cells produced extracellular polysaccharides containing mannose, galactose, and N-acetylglucosamine. Genes possibly involved in the production of the extracellular polysaccharides were identified.
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