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Effect of pH, temperature, and growth conditions on the adhesion of a gliding bacterium and three nongliding bacteria to polystyrene

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Abstract

The effect of growth rate, growth phase, pH, and temperature on the permanent adhesion of a glidingFlexibacter sp. and three nongliding bacteria,Pseudomonas fluorescens, Enterobacter cloacae, andChromobacterium sp., to polystyrene substrata was investigated. The permanent adhesion of the flexibacter appeared to be related to growth, as levels of adhesion increased with increased growth rate in continuous culture and declined rapidly with death phase in batch culture. With the three nongliding bacteria, there was no relationship between growth rate and levels of permanent adhesion. The permanent adhesion of the nongliding bacteria was maximum between pH 5.5 and pH 7 and between 20 and 30°C, whereas the adhesion of the flexibacter progressively decreased with increasing temperature and pH. The effect of different nutrient conditions on the gliding motility of the flexibacter across agar was also investigated. Gliding motility was inhibited by increased nutrient concentration and was affected by carbon source. Inhibition appeared to be related to the accumulation of a viscous exopolymer. It is proposed that the differences in the permanent adhesion of the gliding and nongliding bacteria may be related to their adaptation to different ecological niches.

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Author notes

  1. Sharron McEldowney

    Present address: Polytechnic of Central London, 115 New Cavendish St., WIM 8JS, London, UK

  2. Madilyn Fletcher

    Present address: Center of Marine Biotechnology, University of Maryland, 600 E. Lombard St., 21202, Baltimore, MD, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Sciences, University of Warwick, CV4 7AL, Coventry, UK

    Sharron McEldowney & Madilyn Fletcher

  2. River Laboratory, Freshwater Biological Association, BH20 6BB, Wareham, Dorset, UK

    Sharron McEldowney

Authors
  1. Sharron McEldowney
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  2. Madilyn Fletcher
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McEldowney, S., Fletcher, M. Effect of pH, temperature, and growth conditions on the adhesion of a gliding bacterium and three nongliding bacteria to polystyrene. Microb Ecol 16, 183–195 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02018913

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