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Published on: July 18, 2025
Oxygen governs gonococcal microcolony stability by enhancing the interaction force between type IV pili
Lena Dewenter1, Thorsten E Volkmann, Berenike Maier
1Department of Physics, Universität zu Köln, Köln, Germany. berenike.maier@uni-koeln.de.
Oxygen is crucial for Neisseria gonorrhoeae to form microcolonies, the initial stage of biofilms. Higher oxygen levels enhance type IV pili interactions, essential for bacterial aggregation and biofilm development.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Bacterial Pathogenesis
- Biofilm Formation
Background:
- Bacterial microcolonies are precursors to biofilms, crucial structures in microbial communities.
- Neisseria gonorrhoeae, a human pathogen, utilizes type IV pili (T4P) for microcolony formation and motility.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of oxygen concentration on the dynamics of Neisseria gonorrhoeae microcolony formation.
- To elucidate the role of oxygen in T4P-mediated interactions during microcolony development.
Main Methods:
- Microscopic observation of microcolony formation under varying oxygen concentrations.
- Assessment of proton motive force and its role in microcolony disassembly.
- Laser tweezers utilized to measure T4P-T4P interaction forces under aerobic and anaerobic conditions.
Main Results:
- Oxygen concentrations above 3 μM are essential for Neisseria gonorrhoeae microcolony formation and stability.
- Microcolony disassembly is triggered by proton motive force depletion and actively driven by T4P retraction.
- Aerobic conditions significantly enhance T4P-T4P interaction forces (>50 pN), while anaerobic conditions inhibit these interactions.
Conclusions:
- Oxygen is a critical environmental factor for gonococcal microcolony formation.
- Enhanced pilus-pilus interactions under aerobic conditions are key to oxygen-dependent microcolony development.
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