Correlation between Fundamental Binding Forces and Clinical Prognosis of Staphylococcus aureus Infections of Medical Implants

Abstract

Atomic force microscopy was used to "fish" for binding reactions between a fibronectin-coated probe (i.e., substrate simulating an implant device) and each of 15 different isolates of Staphylococcus aureus obtained from either patients with an infected cardiac prosthesis (invasive group) or healthy human subjects (control group). There is a strong distinction (p = 0.01) in the binding-force signature observed for the invasive versus control populations. This observation suggests that a microorganism's "force taxonomy" may provide a fundamental and practical indicator of the pathogen-related risk that infections pose to patients with implanted medical devices.

Antibody Recognition Force Microscopy Shows that Outer Membrane Cytochromes OmcA and MtrC Are Expressed on the Exterior Surface of Shewanella oneidensis MR-1

“…S. oneidensis MR-1 cells readily adsorbed onto OTS glass coverslips and remained attached to the coverslips during the entire experiment. No lateral cell movement was observed during the experiment, consistent with previous studies that used OTS glass to immobilize bacteria (15,17,18,27). The AFM tip was brought into contact with the surface of a bacterium, and the antibody-functionalized tip was repeatedly brought into and out of contact with the sample, "fishing" for a binding reaction with cytochrome molecules that were exposed on the external cell surface.…”

Influence of Adhesion Force on icaA and cidA Gene Expression and Production of Matrix Components in Staphylococcus aureus Biofilms

“…In S. aureus, invasive isolates exhibited mean forces of adhesion to a fibronectin-coated substratum 0.28 nN higher than those of noninvasive control isolates (26). Moreover, strains of Listeria monocytogenes with forces of adhesion to the silicon nitride tip of an AFM cantilever stronger than 0.38 nN were found to be more pathogenic than strains with weaker adhesion forces (27), coinciding with our conclusion on the impact of adhesion forces on S. aureus gene expression and associated pathogenicity.…”

Bond Strengthening in Oral Bacterial Adhesion to Salivary Conditioning Films

“…Electrosteric forces upon approach and the distance over which they oper- a All data were based on 15 force curves taken from three independent bacterial cultures of each strain, yielding a mean SD of 30%, 20%, and 50% for F max(t ϭ 0) and after bond strengthening F max and , respectively. ate, however, are highly strain dependent (22), which explains why there is no general relationship between the AFM data in the retraction mode and adhesion in the parallel plate flow chamber.…”