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The effect of growth temperature on the nanoscale biochemical surface properties of Yersinia pestis

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Abstract

Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of plague, has been responsible for several recurrent, lethal pandemics in history. Currently, it is an important pathogen to study owing to its virulence, adaptation to different environments during transmission, and potential use in bioterrorism. Here, we report on the changes to Y. pestis surfaces in different external microenvironments, specifically culture temperatures (6, 25, and 37 °C). Using nanoscale imaging coupled with functional mapping, we illustrate that changes in the surfaces of the bacterium from a morphological and biochemical standpoint can be analyzed simultaneously using atomic force microscopy. The results from functional mapping, obtained at a single cell level, show that the density of lipopolysaccharide (measured via terminal N-acetylglucosamine) on Y. pestis grown at 37 °C is only slightly higher than cells grown at 25 °C, but nearly three times higher than cells maintained at 6 °C for an extended period of time, thereby demonstrating that adaptations to different environments can be effectively captured using this technique. This nanoscale evaluation provides a new microscopic approach to study nanoscale properties of bacterial pathogens and investigate adaptations to different external environments.

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Acknowledgments

This research was partially supported by a grant from the VCU PeRQ Fund. The authors thank Travis Spain for assistance with cell culturing experiments.

Author contributions

Congzhou Wang, Vamsi K Yadavalli, and Christopher J Ehrhardt conceived and designed the experiments. Congzhou Wang and Cristina Stanci performed the experiments. Congzhou Wang and Vamsi K Yadavalli analyzed the data. Congzhou Wang, Vamsi K Yadavalli, and Christopher J Ehrhardt wrote the paper. All authors reviewed and contributed to manuscript revisions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical and Life Science Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, 601 West Main Street, Richmond, VA, 23284-3028, USA

    Congzhou Wang & Vamsi K. Yadavalli

  2. Department of Forensic Science, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1015 Floyd Avenue, Richmond, VA, 23284, USA

    Cristina E. Stanciu & Christopher J. Ehrhardt

Authors
  1. Congzhou Wang
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  2. Cristina E. Stanciu
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  3. Christopher J. Ehrhardt
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  4. Vamsi K. Yadavalli
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Correspondence to Christopher J. Ehrhardt or Vamsi K. Yadavalli.

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Wang, C., Stanciu, C.E., Ehrhardt, C.J. et al. The effect of growth temperature on the nanoscale biochemical surface properties of Yersinia pestis . Anal Bioanal Chem 408, 5585–5591 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-016-9659-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-016-9659-9

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