Chaw K C, Manimaran M, Tay Francis E H
Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, 31 Biopolis Way, The Nanos #04-01, Singapore 138669.
Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2005 Dec;49(12):4853-9. doi: 10.1128/AAC.49.12.4853-4859.2005.
In this paper, we report on the potential use of atomic force microscopy (AFM) as a tool to measure the intermolecular forces in biofilm structures and to study the effect of silver ions on sessile Staphylococcus epidermidis cell viability and stability. We propose a strategy of destabilizing the biofilm matrix by reducing the intermolecular forces within the extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs) using a low concentration (50 ppb) of silver ions. Our AFM studies on the intermolecular forces within the EPSs of S. epidermidis RP62A and S.epidermidis 1457 biofilms suggest that the silver ions can destabilize the biofilm matrix by binding to electron donor groups of the biological molecules. This leads to reductions in the number of binding sites for hydrogen bonds and electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions and, hence, the destabilization of the biofilm structure.
在本文中，我们报告了原子力显微镜（AFM）作为一种工具的潜在用途，该工具可用于测量生物膜结构中的分子间力，并研究银离子对固着的表皮葡萄球菌细胞活力和稳定性的影响。我们提出了一种策略，即使用低浓度（50 ppb）的银离子通过降低细胞外聚合物（EPS）内的分子间力来破坏生物膜基质的稳定性。我们对表皮葡萄球菌RP62A和表皮葡萄球菌1457生物膜的EPS内分子间力进行的AFM研究表明，银离子可通过与生物分子的电子供体基团结合来破坏生物膜基质的稳定性。这导致氢键、静电和疏水相互作用的结合位点数量减少，从而使生物膜结构不稳定。
