Modeling the effect of cell-associated polymeric fluid layers on force spectroscopy measurements. Part II: experimental results and comparison with model predictions.

In this paper, experimentally obtained force curves on Staphylococcus aureus are compared with a previously developed model that incorporates hydrodynamic effects of extracellular polysaccharides together with the elastic response of the bacterium and cantilever. Force-displacement curves were predicted without any adjustable parameters. It is demonstrated that experimental results can be accurately described by our model, especially if viscoelastic effects of the extracellular polysaccharide layer are taken into account. Polysaccharide layer viscoelasticity was treated by means of a multimode Phan-Thien/Tanner (PTT) constitutive equation. Typical maximum relaxation times range from 0.2 to 2 s, whereas the corresponding zero-shear-rate viscosities are 6-9 Pa.s, based on published, steady-state rheological measurements on Staphylococcus aureus polysaccharide extracted from its native environment. The bacterial elastic constant is found to be in the range 0.02-0.4 N/m, corresponding to bacterial wall Young's moduli in the range of a few hundred MPa. Repeatability of measurements performed on different bacteria is found to be only fair, due to large individuum variability, whereas repetitions of measurements on the same bacterium showed high reproducibility. Improved force-indentation curve predictions are expected if transient rheological characterization of extracellular polysaccharides is available. More desirable however is the direct, in vivo rheological characterization of the extracellular polysaccharide. A model-based analysis of experimental force-indentation curves shows that appreciable further experimental improvements are still necessary to achieve this goal.