Open AccessPhysico‐chemical surface characteristics and adhesive properties of Streptococcus salivarius strains with defined cell surface structures
Author(s) -
Mei Henny C.,
Weerkamp Anton H.,
Busscher Hendrik J.
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6968.1987.tb01974.x
Subject(s) - adhesion , contact angle , surface energy , adhesive , streptococcus salivarius , chemistry , zeta potential , adsorption , hexadecane , biophysics , saliva , cell adhesion , wetting , chemical engineering , materials science , bacteria , biochemistry , streptococcus , organic chemistry , layer (electronics) , nanotechnology , composite material , biology , engineering , genetics , nanoparticle
Physico‐chemical surface characteristics and adhesive properties of a series of mutants of Streptococcus salivarius HB with defined cell surface structures were determined. Zeta potentials showed no relation either with the presence or absence of specific antigens on the bacterial cell surface, or with the adhesive properties of the cells. Hydrophobicity was assessed by surface free energy determination from measured contact angles, by adsorption to hexadecane and by hydrophobic interaction chromatography. Generally, the progressive removal of fibril subclasses from the cell surface resulted in a reduced hydrophobicity. However, specific fibrillar subclasses appeared to contribute to surface hydrophobicity to widely different extents. Bacterial adhesion to polymethylmethacrylate increased with increasing hydrophobicity of the mutants. However, adhesion to a more complex biological substratum, such as saliva‐coated hydroxyapatite, correlated only partly with hydrophobicity. The organism, deprived of most of its fibrillar surface structures, clearly showed the least adhesion to hydrophobic ligands, to both polymethylmethacrylate and saliva‐coated hydroxyapatite, and had a significantly higher surface free energy than the other mutants and the parent strain.