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Applied and Environmental Microbiology, June 2005, p. 3093-3099, Vol. 71, No. 6
0099-2240/05/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AEM.71.6.3093-3099.2005
Copyright © 2005, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Influence of Growth Phase on Adhesion Kinetics of Escherichia coli D21g

Sharon L. Walker,1* Jane E. Hill,2 Jeremy A. Redman,3 and Menachem Elimelech2

Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, California 92521,1 Department of Chemical Engineering, Environmental Engineering Program, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8286,2 Department of Civil Engineering and Construction Engineering Management, California State University, Long Beach, California 90840-83063

Received 5 October 2004/ Accepted 15 December 2004

The influence of bacterial growth stage and the evolution of surface macromolecules on cell adhesion have been examined by using a mutant of Escherichia coli K-12. To better understand the adhesion kinetics of bacteria in the mid-exponential and stationary growth phases under flow conditions, deposition experiments were conducted in a well-controlled radial stagnation point flow (RSPF) system. Complementary cell characterization techniques were conducted in combination with the RSPF experiments to evaluate the hydrophobicity, electrophoretic mobility, size, and titratable surface charge of the cells in the two growth phases considered. It was observed that cells in stationary phase were notably more adhesive than those in mid-exponential phase. This behavior is attributed to the high degree of local charge heterogeneity on the outer membranes of stationary-phase cells, which results in decreased electrostatic repulsion between the cells and a quartz surface. The mid-exponential-phase cells, on the other hand, have a more uniform charge distribution on the outer membrane, resulting in greater electrostatic repulsion and, subsequently, less adhesion. Our results suggest that the macromolecules responsible for this phenomenon are outer membrane-bound proteins and lipopolysaccharide-associated functional groups.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Riverside, B355 Bourns Hall, Riverside, CA 92521. Phone: (951) 827-6094. Fax: (951) 827-5696. E-mail: swalker{at}engr.ucr.edu.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, June 2005, p. 3093-3099, Vol. 71, No. 6
0099-2240/05/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AEM.71.6.3093-3099.2005
Copyright © 2005, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



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