Investigating Klebsiella pneumoniae biofilm preservation for scanning electron microscopy
Year: 2023
Type: article
Abstract: Klebsiella pneumoniae biofilm formation is associated with chronic and relapsing infections. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) is a powerful tool for characterizing biofilm structure and studying their formation. Reliable visualization of biofilm structure requires careful sample preservation, otherwise there may be loss of non-covalent interactions that are susceptible to damage during the dehydration and washing preparation steps. However, no standard procedure has been adopted in literature to fix K. pneumoniae biofilm for scanning electron microscopy studies. This lack of standardization makes it challenging to compare results between studies and determine the degree to which native structures have been preserved. To advance this critical area of study, we investigated different scanning electron microscopy fixation methods for K. pneumoniae biofilm preservation. Our study reveals the impact preparation steps can have on retaining in biofilm architecture observed using scanning electron microscopy. Using fixation methods developed through our studies, we show that although species that overproduce capsular extracellular polysaccharides produced more robust biofilms, K. pneumoniae can form a developed biofilm in the absence of capsular polysaccharides.
Source: Access Microbiology
Language: English
Subfield: Molecular Biology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $858
Awards: G2255120234, G3680331339, Investigating nanobodies to target multidrug resistant bacterial pathogens, Investigation of capsule interactions that promote antimicrobial peptide activity, G6328330936, A High-Throughput Molecular Platform for Antimicrobial Discovery and Study, Refining our understanding of antimicrobial peptide mediated disruption of the Klebsiella pneumoniae capsule, G924818379
OpenAlex ID: W4319079614