Medical implants, like cardiovascular devices, improve the quality of life for countless individuals but may become infected with bacteria like Staphylococcus aureus. Such infections take the form of a biofilm, a structured community of bacterial cells adherent to the surface of a solid substrate. Every biofilm begins with an attractive force or bond between bacterium and substratum. We used atomic force microscopy to probe experimentally forces between a fibronectin-coated surface (i.e., proxy for an implanted cardiac device) and fibronectin-binding receptors on the surface of individual living bacteria from each of 80 clinical isolates of S. aureus. These isolates originated from humans with infected cardiac devices (CDI; n = 26), uninfected cardiac devices (n = 20), and the anterior nares of asymptomatic subjects (n = 34). CDI isolates exhibited a distinct bindingforce signature and had specific single amino acid polymorphisms in fibronectin-binding protein A corresponding to E652D, H782Q, and K786N. In silico molecular dynamics simulations demonstrate that residues D652, Q782, and N786 in fibronectin-binding protein A form extra hydrogen bonds with fibronectin, complementing the higher binding force and energy measured by atomic force microscopy for the CDI isolates. This study is significant, because it links pathogenic bacteria biofilms from the length scale of bonds acting across a nanometer-scale space to the clinical presentation of disease at the human dimension.adhesion | binding strength | host-pathogen interaction | pacemaker | prosthesis

In vivo force microscopy measurements of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans revealed a repulsive force that was due to the presence of extracellular polymers on the bacterium's surface. Measured force-distance profiles were fit to steric force theory to estimate the density and thickness values of these exopolymers. The polymer densities were 3.4 ؋ 10 16 to 7.1 ؋ 10 16 molecules m ؊2 , and the equilibrium thickness was 29 nm.

It is well established that bacteria are able to respond to temporal gradients (e.g., by chemotaxis). However, it is widely held that prokaryotes are too small to sense spatial gradients. This contradicts the common observation that the vast majority of bacteria live on the surface of a solid substrate (e.g., as a biofilm). Herein we report direct experimental evidence that the nonmotile bacterium Staphylococcus aureus possesses a tactile response, or primitive sense of touch, that allows it to respond to spatial gradients. Attached cells recognize their substrate interface and localize adhesins toward that region. Braille-like avidity maps reflect a cell's biochemical sensory response and reveal ultrastructural regions defined by the actual binding activity of specific proteins.

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is an important transmembrane glycoprotein kinase involved the initiation or perpetuation of signal transduction cascades within cells. These processes occur after EGFR binds to a ligand [epidermal growth factor (EGF)], thus inducing its dimerization and tyrosine autophosphorylation. Previous publications have highlighted the importance of glycosylation and dimerization for promoting proper function of the receptor and conformation in membranes; however, the effects of these associations on the protein conformational stability have not yet been described. Molecular dynamics simulations were performed to characterize the conformational preferences of the monomeric and dimeric forms of the EGFR extracellular domain upon binding to EGF in the presence and absence of N-glycan moieties. Structural stability analyses revealed that EGF provides the most conformational stability to EGFR, followed by glycosylation and dimerization, respectively. The findings also support that EGF–EGFR binding takes place through a large-scale induced-fitting mechanism.

Mesothelioma is an incurable form of cancer located most commonly in the pleural lining of the lungs and is associated almost exclusively with the inhalation of asbestos. The binding of asbestos to epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), a transmembrane signal protein, has been proposed as a trigger for downstream signaling of kinases and expression of genes involved in cell proliferation and inhibition of apoptosis. Here, we investigate the molecular binding of EGFR to crocidolite (blue asbestos; Na2(Fe(2+),Mg)3Fe2(3+)Si8O22(OH)2) in buffer solution. Atomic force microscopy measurements revealed an attractive force of interaction (i.e., bond) as EGFR was pulled from contact with long fibers of crocidolite. The rupture force of this bond increased with loading rate. According to the Bell model, the off-rate of bond dissociation (k(off)) for EGFR was 22 s(-1). Similar experiments with riebeckite crystals, the nonasbestiform variety of crocidolite, yielded a k(off) of 8 s(-1). These k(off) values on crocidolite and riebeckite are very rapid compared to published values for natural agonists of EGFR like transforming growth factor and epidermal growth factor. This suggests binding of EGFR to the surfaces of these minerals could elicit a response that is more potent than biological hormone or cytokine ligands. Signal transduction may cease for endogenous ligands due to endocytosis and subsequent degradation, and even riebeckite particles can be cleared from the lungs due to their short, equant habit. However, the fibrous habit of crocidolite leads to lifelong persistence in the lungs where aberrant, repetitious binding with EGFR may continually trigger the activation switch leading to chronic expression of genes involved in oncogenesis.