Spreading rates of bacterial colonies depend on substrate stiffness and permeability

Merrill, E; Thanh, Minh-Tri Ho; Germann, D; Carroll, Robert J.; Franceski, Alana; Welch, Roy D.; Gopinath, Arvind; Patteson, Alison E.

doi:10.1093/pnasnexus/pgac025

Cited by 20 publications

(43 citation statements)

References 72 publications

(109 reference statements)

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“…Our technique is insensitive to local cell density and provides highly resolved expansion patterns. Similar techniques which have been used to track colony maturation include traction force microscopy, and single-cell tracking [17,33,34]. These methods have revealed how substrate stiffness influences transient stresses associated with colony expansion [17].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Similar techniques which have been used to track colony maturation include traction force microscopy, and single-cell tracking [17,33,34]. These methods have revealed how substrate stiffness influences transient stresses associated with colony expansion [17]. However, these techniques result in average deformation fields or are limited to smaller inspection areas.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In this diffusion-dominated condition, the spreading is driven by cell growth, surfactant production, and the balance between osmotic pressure gradients and elastic stresses conferred by the ECM [13][14][15][16]. In turn, the surface on which bacterial colonies form influences colony morphology and expansion behaviour through its water availability [16], mechanical stiffness [17] and adhesive properties [13].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The role of biofilm matrix composition in controlling colony expansion and morphology

et al. 2022

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Biofilms are biological viscoelastic gels composed of bacterial cells embedded in a self-secreted polymeric extracellular matrix (ECM). In environmental settings, such as in the rhizosphere and phyllosphere, biofilm colonization occurs at the solid–air interface. The biofilms’ ability to colonize and expand over these surfaces depends on the formation of osmotic gradients and ECM viscoelastic properties. In this work, we study the influence of biofilm ECM components on its viscoelasticity and expansion, using the model organism Bacillus subtilis and deletion mutants of its three major ECM components, TasA, EPS and BslA. Using a multi-scale approach, we quantified macro-scale viscoelasticity and expansion dynamics. Furthermore, we used a microsphere assay to visualize the micro-scale expansion patterns. We find that the viscoelastic phase angle Φ is likely the best viscoelastic parameter correlating to biofilm expansion dynamics. Moreover, we quantify the sensitivity of the biofilm to changes in substrate water potential as a function of ECM composition. Finally, we find that the deletion of ECM components significantly increases the coherence of micro-scale colony expansion patterns. These results demonstrate the influence of ECM viscoelasticity and substrate water potential on the expansion of biofilm colonies on wet surfaces at the air–solid interface, commonly found in natural environments.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The role of biofilm matrix composition in controlling colony expansion and morphology

et al. 2022

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“…Additionally, these features can potentially be exploited for evaluating bacterial attachment, growth, and biofilm formation. Bacterial adhesion on hydrogel surfaces is a complex process governed by multiple factors including hydrogel stiffness, − porosity, , thickness, ,, surface roughness, ,, hydrophilicity, − nutrient medium, , and bacterial motility. , …”

Section: Hydrogels Favoring Bacterial Adhesion/antifoulingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multifunctional Composite Hydrogels for Bacterial Capture, Growth/Elimination, and Sensing Applications

Dsouza

Constantinidou

Arvanitis

et al. 2022

ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces

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Hydrogels are cross-linked networks of hydrophilic polymer chains with a three-dimensional structure. Owing to their unique features, the application of hydrogels for bacterial/antibacterial studies and bacterial infection management has grown in importance in recent years. This trend is likely to continue due to the rise in bacterial infections and antimicrobial resistance. By exploiting their physicochemical characteristics and inherent nature, hydrogels have been developed to achieve bacterial capture and detection, bacterial growth or elimination, antibiotic delivery, or bacterial sensing. Traditionally, the development of hydrogels for bacterial/antibacterial studies has focused on achieving a single function such as antibiotic delivery, antibacterial activity, bacterial growth, or bacterial detection. However, recent studies demonstrate the fabrication of multifunctional hydrogels, where a single hydrogel is capable of performing more than one bacterial/antibacterial function, or composite hydrogels consisting of a number of single functionalized hydrogels, which exhibit bacterial/antibacterial function synergistically. In this review, we first highlight the hydrogel features critical for bacterial studies and infection management. Then, we specifically address unique hydrogel properties, their surface/network functionalization, and their mode of action for bacterial capture, adhesion/growth, antibacterial activity, and bacterial sensing, respectively. Finally, we provide insights into different strategies for developing multifunctional hydrogels and how such systems can help tackle, manage, and understand bacterial infections and antimicrobial resistance. We also note that the strategies highlighted in this review can be adapted to other cell types and are therefore likely to find applications beyond the field of microbiology.

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“…An example of this is the growth of bacterial colonies on agar substrates of varying stiffness. Most bacterial colonies tend to grow slower and smaller on more concentrated, stiffer agar (25,26). A series of agar substrates of varying concentrations (0.4% to 2%) can be prepared and characterized by the torsion rheometer (Fig 9).…”

Section: Bacterial Growth On Substrates Of Varying Mechanical Propertiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Torsion-Based Rheometer for Measuring Viscoelastic Material Properties

et al. 2022

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Rheology and the study of viscoelastic materials are an integral part of engineering and the study of biophysical systems. Tissue rheology is even used in the study of cancer and other diseases. However, the cost of a rheometer is feasible only for colleges, universities, and research laboratories. Even if a rheometer can be purchased, it is bulky and delicately calibrated, limiting its usefulness to the laboratory itself. The design presented here is less than a tenth of the cost of a professional rheometer. The design is also portable, making it the ideal solution to introduce viscoelasticity to high school students as well as for use in the field for obtaining rheological data.

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Spreading rates of bacterial colonies depend on substrate stiffness and permeability

Cited by 20 publications

References 72 publications

The role of biofilm matrix composition in controlling colony expansion and morphology

The role of biofilm matrix composition in controlling colony expansion and morphology

Multifunctional Composite Hydrogels for Bacterial Capture, Growth/Elimination, and Sensing Applications

A Torsion-Based Rheometer for Measuring Viscoelastic Material Properties

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