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Catch-bond behavior of bacteria binding by slip bonds

Oscar Björnham1, Ove Axner

  • 1Department of Physics and Umeå Centre for Microbial Research, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.

Biophysical Journal
|September 7, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Bacteria with multiple pili exhibiting slip bonds can display catch-bond behavior. This phenomenon prolongs bacterial adhesion lifetime by over tenfold when pili transition to simultaneous force exposure under increased external force.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Biophysics
  • Adhesion Science

Background:

  • Bacteria utilize pili for host adhesion, with individual pili bonds often exhibiting slip-bond characteristics.
  • Multivalent bacterial adhesion systems can display complex force-dependent behaviors not seen in single bonds.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the theoretical basis of catch-bond behavior in bacteria with multiple pili.
  • To determine how pili force exposure modes (sequential vs. simultaneous) influence bacterial adhesion lifetime.

Main Methods:

  • Theoretical modeling of dual-pili-adhering bacteria.
  • Analytical calculations and computational simulations were employed.
  • Investigation of pili force exposure dynamics under varying external forces.

Main Results:

  • Bacteria with helix-like pili and slip bonds can exhibit catch-bond behavior.
  • A transition from sequential to simultaneous pili force exposure occurs with increasing external force.
  • Simultaneous pili force exposure significantly prolongs bacterial adhesion lifetime, by over an order of magnitude.

Conclusions:

  • The collective behavior of multiple pili can lead to emergent catch-bond properties in bacteria.
  • Bacterial adhesion lifetime is significantly enhanced by the transition to simultaneous pili force exposure.
  • Adhesion properties of multivalent systems cannot be directly extrapolated from individual receptor-ligand bonds.

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