Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 9, 2026
07:07
Adherence of Bacteria to Plant Surfaces Measured in the Laboratory
Published on: June 19, 2018
Catch-bond behavior of bacteria binding by slip bonds
1Department of Physics and Umeå Centre for Microbial Research, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
Biophysical Journal
|September 7, 2010
Summary
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.
Related Concept Videos
01:19Mechanism of Conjugation
Bacterial conjugation is a mechanism of horizontal gene transfer that enables the exchange of genetic material between bacterial cells through direct contact. This process is facilitated by a donor cell carrying a conjugative plasmid, which encodes genes necessary for pilus formation, DNA replication, and transfer. The conjugative plasmid plays a central role in initiating and executing the transfer of genetic material.The tra region of the conjugative plasmid encodes proteins responsible for...
01:29Coordination of Gene Expression Processes in Bacteria
The DNA replication, transcription, and translation processes are intricately coupled in bacteria, allowing efficient gene expression and rapid protein synthesis. While this physical and functional coordination is advantageous, it introduces challenges that bacteria overcome through specific regulatory mechanisms.Coupling of Replication, Transcription, and TranslationThe coupling of replication, transcription, and translation is a hallmark of bacterial gene expression. As the replisome unwinds...
01:03Single-Strand DNA Binding Proteins
For successful DNA replication, the unwinding of double-stranded DNA must be accompanied by stabilization and protection of the separated single strands of the DNA. This crucial task is performed by single-strand DNA-binding (SSB) proteins. They bind to the DNA in a sequence-independent manner, which means that the nitrogenous bases of the DNA need not be present in a specific order for binding of SSB proteins to it. The binding of SSB proteins straightens single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) and makes...
01:28Fimbriae, Pili, and Axial Filaments
Fimbriae and pili are specialized bacterial surface structures that play pivotal roles in adhesion, genetic exchange, and motility. Composed primarily of pilin protein, these hairlike appendages are crucial for bacterial survival and pathogenicity in various environments.Fimbriae: Adhesion and PathogenicityFimbriae are fine, filamentous structures measuring 2–10 nanometers in diameter and are densely distributed on the bacterial cell surface. They facilitate bacterial adhesion to abiotic...
02:13Cooperative Binding of Transcription Regulators
Transcriptional regulators bind to specific cis-regulatory sequences in the DNA to regulate gene transcription. These cis-regulatory sequences are very short, usually less than ten nucleotide pairs in length. The short length means that there is a high probability of the exact same sequence randomly occurring throughout the genome. Since regulators can also bind to groups of similar sequences, this further increases the chances of random binding. Transcriptional regulators form dimers that...
01:30Bacterial Signaling
Bacterial signaling can occur within bacteria (intracellular) or between bacteria (intercellular). At times, a group of bacteria behaves like a community. To achieve this, they engage in quorum sensing, the perception of higher cell density that causes changes in gene expression. Quorum sensing involves both extracellular and intracellular signaling. The signaling cascade starts with a molecule called an autoinducer (AI). Individual bacteria produce AIs that move out of the bacterial cell...