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.

Summary

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.

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