Issue 12, 2024

Towards a better understanding of the effect of protein conditioning layers on microbial adhesion: a focused investigation of fibronectin and bovine serum albumin layers on SiO2 surfaces

Abstract

The interaction of foreign implants with their surrounding environment is significantly influenced by the adsorption of proteins on the biomaterial surfaces, playing a role in microbial adhesion. Therefore, understanding protein adsorption on solid surfaces and its effect on microbial adhesion is essential to assess the associated risk of infection. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of conditioning by fibronectin (Fn) or bovine serum albumin (BSA) protein layers of silica (SiO2) surfaces on the adhesion and detachment of two pathogenic microorganisms: Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1-Tn7-gfp and Candida albicans CIP 48.72. Experiments are conducted under both static and hydrodynamic conditions using a shear stress flow chamber. Through the use of very low wall shear stresses, the study brings the link between the static and dynamic conditions of microbial adhesion. The results reveal that the microbial adhesion critically depends on: (i) the presence of a protein layer conditioning the SiO2 surface, (ii) the type of protein and (iii) the protein conformation and organization in the conditioning layer. In addition, a very distinct adhesion behaviour of P. aeruginosa is observed towards the two tested proteins, Fn and BSA. This effect is reinforced by the amount of proteins adsorbed on the surface and their organization in the layer. The results are discussed in the light of atomic force microscopy analysis of the organization and conformation of proteins in the layers after adsorption on the SiO2 surface, as well as the specificity in bacterial behaviour when interacting with these protein layers. The study also demonstrates the very distinctive behaviours of the prokaryote P. aeruginosa PAO1-Tn7-gfp compared to the eukaryote C. albicans CIP 48.72. This underscores the importance of considering species-specific interactions between the protein conditioning layer and different pathogenic microorganisms, which appear crucial in designing tailored anti-adhesive surfaces.

Graphical abstract: Towards a better understanding of the effect of protein conditioning layers on microbial adhesion: a focused investigation of fibronectin and bovine serum albumin layers on SiO2 surfaces

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
18 Jan 2024
Accepted
20 Apr 2024
First published
22 Apr 2024
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

Biomater. Sci., 2024,12, 3086-3099

Towards a better understanding of the effect of protein conditioning layers on microbial adhesion: a focused investigation of fibronectin and bovine serum albumin layers on SiO2 surfaces

M. Rima, C. Villeneuve-Faure, M. Soumbo, F. El Garah, L. Pilloux, C. Roques and K. Makasheva, Biomater. Sci., 2024, 12, 3086 DOI: 10.1039/D4BM00099D

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence. You can use material from this article in other publications without requesting further permissions from the RSC, provided that the correct acknowledgement is given.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements