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Programming Surface Motility and Modulating Physiological Behaviors of Bacteria via Biosurfactant-Mimetic
Zixi Chen1,2, Apoorva Vishwakarma1, Abraham Joy1,2
1School of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325, United States.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|December 10, 2024
Summary
Synthetic polyurethanes can control bacterial movement and enhance the production of valuable compounds like extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). Carboxyl-containing polymers boost bacterial swarming and twitching, while amine-containing polymers reduce swarming.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Microbiology
- Polymer Chemistry
Background:
- Modulating bacterial motility and physiology is key to enhancing the production of bacterial macromolecules and small molecules.
- Controlling bacterial surface behavior is crucial for applications in biotechnology and materials science.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a platform of water-soluble and amphiphilic peptidomimetic polyurethanes to regulate bacterial surface behavior.
- To investigate the impact of functionalized polyurethanes on bacterial motility and the production of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS).
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of carboxyl (-COOH) and amine (-NH2)-functionalized peptidomimetic polyurethanes.
- Assessment of polyurethane effects on bacterial swarming and twitching motility in Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) and Escherichia coli (E. coli).
- Quantification of EPS and rhamnolipid production under the influence of functionalized polyurethanes.
Main Results:
- -COOH polyurethanes significantly enhanced P. aeruginosa swarming (17-fold) and twitching (80-fold) areas.
- -NH2-functionalized polyurethanes reduced P. aeruginosa swarming area by 58%.
- -COOH polyurethanes promoted bacterial proliferation and increased EPS and rhamnolipid production, while also enabling patterned bacterial migration.
Conclusions:
- Functionalized polyurethanes offer a tunable platform for controlling bacterial surface behavior and motility.
- This approach can be leveraged to enhance the production of valuable bacterial products and engineer living materials.
- The strategic use of opposing polymer functionalities allows for programming bacterial spatial migration into designed patterns.
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