Electrostatic interactions in the adhesion of an ion-penetrable and ion-impenetrable bacterial strain to glass.

Deposition to glass of Streptococcus salivarius HB-C12 and Staphylococcus epidermidis 3399 in a parallel plate flow chamber has been studied as a function of ionic strength. Electrophoretic mobility measurements revealed that S. epidermidis 3399 possesses a thick ion-penetrable layer, probably associated with its encapsulation, while S. salivarius HB-C12 has an ion-impenetrable surface. Streaming potential measurements indicated that also the glass surface was covered with a relatively thin, ion-penetrable layer. Theoretical initial deposition rates of both strains to glass were obtained by numerically solving the convective-diffusion equation, while accounting for the ion-penetrability of the interacting surfaces. Experimentally, the initial deposition rate of the ion-penetrable strain S. epidermidis 3399 was found to be higher and less dependent on ionic strength than of the ion-impenetrable S. salivarius HB-C12, in accordance with theoretical expectations. Agreement between theoretical and experimental deposition rates could be obtained when glass was considered ion-penetrable when interacting with the ion-penetrable organism S. epidermidis 3399, while glass behaved as an ion-impenetrable surface when interacting with the ion-impenetrable S. salivarius HB-C12. Probably, interaction with an ion-impenetrable strain drives the diffuse double layer charges into the limited volume of the thin ion-penetrable layer on the glass, readily filling it up and making it appear ion-impenetrable. During interaction of glass with another ion-penetrable surface, as of S. epidermidis 3399, diffuse double layer charges move into both ion-penetrable surfaces, resulting in a much lower mobile charge density in the ion-penetrable layer on the glass which consequently continues to behave as ion-penetrable.