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Title: Composition, Reactivity and Regulation of Extracellular Metal-Reducing Structures (Bacterial Nanowires) Produced by Dissimilatory Metal - Reducing Bacteria

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/893692· OSTI ID:893692

Approach. Previously, using conventional and cryoTEM techniques, surface physicochemistry assays, NMR structural analysis, etc., we showed that the structure and composition of Shewanella's lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and capsular polysaccharide (PS) significantly determined overall cell surface physicochemistry. In our study a strong correlation between such macroscopic parameters as surface electronegativity, hydrophobicity or hydrophilicity, and bacterial adhesion to hematite was observed. Rough LPS strains exhibited more than an order higher affinity and maximal sorption capacity to hematite when compared to encapsulated strains. These general trends, however, characterize bacterial adhesion only as a bulk process, being unable to reveal finer mechanisms taking place at the level of an individual cell. Cell surface physicochemical and structural heterogeneity suggests much more complex interactions at the bacterial-mineral interface than predicted by such approaches operating within macroscopic parameters.

Research Organization:
University of Guelph, Ontario, CA
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC)
OSTI ID:
893692
Report Number(s):
NABIR-1024844-2004; R&D Project: NABIR 1024844; TRN: US200625%%487
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English