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Surface Potential Measurement of Bacteria Using Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy

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Method-induced variation in the bacterial cell surface hydrophobicity MATH test.

Jesús A Salas-Tovar¹, Sarai Escobedo-García¹, Guadalupe I Olivas¹

¹Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, Av. Río Conchos S/N, Parque Industrial, Cd. Cuauhtémoc, Chihuahua 31570, Mexico.

Journal of Microbiological Methods

|May 10, 2021

Summary

The microbial adhesion to hydrocarbon (MATH) test measures bacterial surface hydrophobicity, but variations in assay methods significantly impact results. Standardizing the MATH test is crucial for reliable bacterial adhesion data.

Keywords:

Adhesion to hydrocarbons Cell surface hydrophobicity Lactobacillus reuteri MATH test Percentage of adhesion to hydrocarbons

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Area of Science:

Microbiology
Biophysics

Background:

Bacterial cell surface hydrophobicity influences adhesion to surfaces.
The microbial adhesion to hydrocarbon (MATH) test quantifies this property through percentage of adhesion to hydrocarbons (PoAtH).
Existing literature shows discrepancies in PoAtH values for identical bacterial strains, suggesting method-induced variability.

Purpose of the Study:

To compare different versions of the MATH test.
To quantify method-induced variations in PoAtH values.
To assess the impact of assay conditions on bacterial adhesion measurements.

Main Methods:

Literature review of MATH test protocols.
Comparative analysis of PoAtH values across different assay versions.
Evaluation of method-dependent variation in two *Lactobacillus reuteri* strains (ATCC 53609 and 55730).

Main Results:

Method-induced variations account for twice as much variability in PoAtH values compared to differences in bacterial cell surface properties.
The two *L. reuteri* strains exhibited significant method-dependent variation (40% for ATCC 53609 and 70% for 55730).
Assay conditions substantially influence measured bacterial hydrophobicity.

Conclusions:

The MATH test is highly susceptible to method-induced variations.
Standardization of the MATH test protocol is essential for inter-laboratory reproducibility.
Consistent PoAtH values require standardized procedures for accurate bacterial adhesion assessment.