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Assessing Bacterial Adhesion on an Individual Adhesin and Single Pili Level Using Optical Tweezers

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Bacterial Adhesion

Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((AEMB,volume 715))

Abstract

Optical tweezers (OT) are a technique that, by focused laser light, can both manipulate micrometer sized objects and measure minute forces (in the pN range) in biological systems. The technique is therefore suitable for assessment of bacterial adhesion on an individual adhesin-receptor and single attachment organelle (pili) level. This chapter summarizes the use of OT for assessment of adhesion mechanisms of both non-piliated and piliated bacteria. The latter include the important helix-like pili expressed by uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC), which have shown to have unique and intricate biomechanical properties. It is conjectured that the large flexibility of this type of pili allows for a redistribution of an external shear force among several pili, thereby extending the adhesion lifetime of bacteria. Systems with helix-like adhesion organelles may therefore act as dynamic biomechanical machineries, enhancing the ability of bacteria to withstand high shear forces originating from rinsing flows such as in the urinary tract. This implies that pili constitute an important virulence factor and a possible target for future anti-microbial drugs.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, Umeå Centre for Microbial Research (UCMR), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden

    Ove Axner, Magnus Andersson, Oscar Björnham, Mickaël Castelain, Jeanna Klinth & Efstratios Koutris

  2. Department of Applied Physics and Electronics, Umeå Centre for Microbial Research (UCMR), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden

    Staffan Schedin

Authors
  1. Ove Axner
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  2. Magnus Andersson
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  3. Oscar Björnham
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  4. Mickaël Castelain
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  5. Jeanna Klinth
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  6. Efstratios Koutris
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  7. Staffan Schedin
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Correspondence to Ove Axner .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Department I, Protein Evolution, Max-Planck Institute for Developmental B, Spemannstr. 35, Tübingen, 72076, Germany

    Dirk Linke

  2. , Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 1, Helsinki, FIN-00014, Finland

    Adrian Goldman

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Axner, O. et al. (2011). Assessing Bacterial Adhesion on an Individual Adhesin and Single Pili Level Using Optical Tweezers. In: Linke, D., Goldman, A. (eds) Bacterial Adhesion. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 715. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-0940-9_19

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