Effect of cell appendages on the adhesion properties of a highly adhesive bacterium, Acinetobacter sp. Tol 5

• Published in: Bioscience, biotechnology, and biochemistry Vol. 70; no. 11; pp. 2635 - 2640
• Main Authors: Ishii, S.(Tokyo Inst. of Technology, Yokohama (Japan)), Unno, H, Miyata, S, Hori, K
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Tokyo Japan Society for Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Agrochemistry 01.11.2006; Japan Society for Bioscience Biotechnology and Agrochemistry; Oxford University Press
• Subjects: ACINETOBACTER; Acinetobacter - physiology; Acinetobacter - ultrastructure; ADHESIVIDAD; ADHESIVITE; BACTERIA; Bacterial Adhesion; Biological and medical sciences; cell appendage; CELLS; CELLULE; CELULAS; DEGRADACION; DEGRADATION; Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (DLVO) theory; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; ION; IONES; IONS; microbial adhesion; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; MUTANT; MUTANTES; MUTANTS; Mutation - genetics; Osmolar Concentration; POLIURETANO; POLYURETHANE; Polyurethanes; RESISTANCE MECANIQUE; RESISTENCIA MECANICA; STICKINESS; STRENGTH; TOLUENE; TOLUENO; cell appendage; Neisseriaceae; Micrococcales; Acinetobacter; Bacteria; microbial adhesion; Microorganism; Adhesion; Adhesive; Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (DLVO) theory
• ISSN: 0916-8451; 1347-6947
• DOI: 10.1271/bbb.60236

A toluene-degrading bacterium, Acinetobacter sp. Tol 5, shows noteworthy adhesiveness mediated by two types of cell appendages. In this study, we obtained a less-adhesive mutant, T1, which lost both types of appendages, and investigated how the cell appendages affect the adhesion properties of this useful bacterium for environmental technology. Wild-type cells attained irreversible adhesion to polyurethane carriers within 30 s, while adhesion of T1 cells was still reversible at that time. While T1 showed decreased adhesion with decreasing ionic strength and did not adhere at all at 0.015 mM, adhesion of the wild type was fully independent of ionic strength. Acinetobacter sp. Tol 5 was also found to be not motile. Our results suggest that through the long distant interaction mediated by the appendages between the cells and surfaces, Tol 5 cells can attain irreversible adhesion very quickly without approaching the vicinity of the substratum.