This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Rupp, C. J.
Right arrow Articles by Stoodley, P.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Rupp, C. J.
Right arrow Articles by Stoodley, P.
Agricola
Right arrow Articles by Rupp, C. J.
Right arrow Articles by Stoodley, P.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, April 2005, p. 2175-2178, Vol. 71, No. 4
0099-2240/05/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AEM.71.4.2175-2178.2005
Copyright © 2005, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

SHORT REPORT

Viscoelasticity of Staphylococcus aureus Biofilms in Response to Fluid Shear Allows Resistance to Detachment and Facilitates Rolling Migration

Cory J. Rupp,1,2 Christoph A. Fux,1 and Paul Stoodley1,2,3,4*

Center for Biofilm Engineering,1 Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering,2 Department of Microbiology, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana,3 Center for Genomic Sciences, Allegheny-Singer Research Institute, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania4

Received 10 May 2004/ Accepted 5 November 2004

Staphylococcus aureus is a leading cause of catheter-related bloodstream infections and endocarditis. Both involve (i) biofilm formation, (ii) exposure to fluid shear, and (iii) high rates of dissemination. We found that viscoelasticity allowed S. aureus biofilms to resist detachment due to increased fluid shear by deformation, while remaining attached to a surface. Further, we report that S. aureus microcolonies moved downstream by rolling along the lumen walls of a glass flow cell, driven by the flow of the overlying fluid. The rolling appeared to be controlled by viscoelastic tethers. This tethered rolling may be important for the surface colonization of medical devices by nonmotile bacteria.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Center for Genomic Sciences, Allegheny-Singer Research Institute, 320 E. North Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15212. Phone: (412) 359-6876. Fax: (412) 359-6995. E-mail: pstoodle{at}wpahs.org.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, April 2005, p. 2175-2178, Vol. 71, No. 4
0099-2240/05/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AEM.71.4.2175-2178.2005
Copyright © 2005, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Koza, A., Hallett, P. D., Moon, C. D., Spiers, A. J. (2009). Characterization of a novel air-liquid interface biofilm of Pseudomonas fluorescens SBW25. Microbiology 155: 1397-1406 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Arce, F. T., Carlson, R., Monds, J., Veeh, R., Hu, F. Z., Stewart, P. S., Lal, R., Ehrlich, G. D., Avci, R. (2009). Nanoscale Structural and Mechanical Properties of Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae Biofilms. J. Bacteriol. 191: 2512-2520 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Stoodley, P., Nistico, L., Johnson, S., Lasko, L.-A., Baratz, M., Gahlot, V., Ehrlich, G. D., Kathju, S. (2008). Direct Demonstration of Viable Staphylococcus aureus Biofilms in an Infected Total Joint Arthroplasty. A Case Report. JBJS 90: 1751-1758 [Full Text]  
  • Ymele-Leki, P., Ross, J. M. (2007). Erosion from Staphylococcus aureus Biofilms Grown under Physiologically Relevant Fluid Shear Forces Yields Bacterial Cells with Reduced Avidity to Collagen. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 73: 1834-1841 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Anderson, B. N., Ding, A. M., Nilsson, L. M., Kusuma, K., Tchesnokova, V., Vogel, V., Sokurenko, E. V., Thomas, W. E. (2007). Weak Rolling Adhesion Enhances Bacterial Surface Colonization. J. Bacteriol. 189: 1794-1802 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Wijman, J. G. E., de Leeuw, P. P. L. A., Moezelaar, R., Zwietering, M. H., Abee, T. (2007). Air-Liquid Interface Biofilms of Bacillus cereus: Formation, Sporulation, and Dispersion. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 73: 1481-1488 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology.   For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»