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Mechanical stability of individual bacterial cells under different osmotic pressure conditions: a nanoindentation study of Pseudomonas aeruginosa
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Idania De Alba Montero ,
Eleazar Samuel Kolosovas-Machuca ,
Facundo Ruiz ,
Sumati Bhatia ,
Jose Luis Cuellar Camacho,
Jaime Ruiz-García
Beilstein Journal of Nanotechnology, Volume: 16, Pages: 1171 - 1183
Swansea University Author:
Sumati Bhatia
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PDF | Version of Record
© 2025 García-Torres et al. This is an open access article licensed under the terms of the Beilstein-Institut Open Access License Agreement (https://www.beilstein-journals.org/bjnano/terms), which is identical to the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0).
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DOI (Published version): 10.3762/bjnano.16.86
Abstract
Nanomechanical maps to test the mechanical response of the outer envelope of Pseudomonas aeruginosa were obtained utilizing atomic force microscopy in force-volume mode in the low range of loading forces when exposed to hypotonic (Milli-Q water), isotonic (PBS), and hypertonic (0.5 M NaCl) solutions...
| Published in: | Beilstein Journal of Nanotechnology |
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| ISSN: | 2190-4286 |
| Published: |
Beilstein-Institut
2025
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| Online Access: |
Check full text
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| URI: | https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa70125 |
| Abstract: |
Nanomechanical maps to test the mechanical response of the outer envelope of Pseudomonas aeruginosa were obtained utilizing atomic force microscopy in force-volume mode in the low range of loading forces when exposed to hypotonic (Milli-Q water), isotonic (PBS), and hypertonic (0.5 M NaCl) solutions. Imaging and mechanical testing showed that bacteria are highly resilient to deformation and can withstand repetitive indentations in the range of 500 pN. Analysis of force spectra revealed that although there are differences in the mechanical response within the first stages of nanoindentation, similar values in the slopes of the curves reflected a stable stiffness of about k B = 20 mN/m and turgor pressures of P t = 12.1 kPa. Interestingly, a change in the nonlinear regime of the force curves and a gradual increase in maximal deformation by the AFM tip from hypotonic to hypertonic solutions suggest a softening of the outer envelope, which we associate with intense dehydration and membrane separation between inner and outer envelopes. Application of a contact mechanics model to account for the minute differences in mechanical behavior upon deformation provided Young's moduli in the range of 0.7-1.1 kPa. Implications of the presented results with previously reported data in the literature are discussed. |
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| Keywords: |
AFM; force spectroscopy; membrane rigidity; nanomechanical mapping; osmotic shock |
| College: |
Faculty of Science and Engineering |
| Funders: |
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) – Project ID: 458564133; Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) RG\R1\241050; National postdoctoral Fellowship program SECIHTI (CONACYT) Mexico |
| Start Page: |
1171 |
| End Page: |
1183 |