Work

Disruption of Escherichia coli Amyloid-Integrated Biofilm Formation at the Air–Liquid Interface by a Polysorbate Surfactant

Year: 2012

Type: article

Abstract: Functional amyloid fibers termed curli contribute to bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation in Escherichia coli . We discovered that the nonionic surfactant Tween 20 inhibits biofilm formation by uropathogenic E. coli at the air-liquid interface, referred to as pellicle formation, and at the solid-liquid interface. At Tween 20 concentrations near and above the critical micelle concentration, the interfacial viscoelastic modulus is reduced to zero as cellular aggregates at the air-liquid interface are locally disconnected and eventually eliminated. Tween 20 does not inhibit the production of curli but prevents curli-integrated film formation. Our results support a model in which the hydrophobic curli fibers associated with bacteria near the air-liquid interface require access to the gas phase to formed strong physical entanglements and to form a network that can support shear stress.

Source: Langmuir

DOI: 10.1021/la304710k

Authors: Cynthia Wu, Ji Youn Lim, Gerald G. Fuller, Lynette Cegelski

Institution: Stanford University

Language: English

Topic: Bacterial biofilms and quorum sensing

Subfield: Molecular Biology

Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funder: National Institutes of Health

Award: Structure, Function, and Disruption of Microbial Amyloid Assembly and Biofilm For