Variation in Surface Properties of Individual Bacterial Cells that Influences Viral Attachment

Viruses influence microbial communities and biogeochemical cycles in marine environments. Viral attachment to non-host bacterial surfaces may affect host-virus infection rates, but mechanisms remain unclear. Previous work (Yamada et al., 2023) showed that rougher bacterial surfaces enhance viral attachment. However, the variation in surface roughness among individual bacterial cells is still poorly understood, limiting insights into viral attachment mechanisms. This study used atomic force microscopy to measure the surface roughness of relatively large bacteria (spherical equivalent diameter ≥ 0.3 μm) collected along the coast of Okinawa, Japan. Surface roughness was measured in five 150 nm × 150 nm areas per cell. Results showed that some cells had uniform roughness (with up to 1.1-fold differences between areas), while others showed greater variability (up to 5.3-fold differences). This may reflect localized structures like flagella or extracellular polymers, suggesting that areas with varying viral attachment potential exist on individual cells. Finer-scale measurements (40 nm × 40 nm) also revealed that bacterial surface properties (height, Young's modulus, and adhesiveness) varied on individual cells. These nanoscale variations may impact viral attachment and infection in seawater, with potential ecological and biogeochemical implications.

Presentation Preference: Poster

Primary Presenter: Yosuke Yamada, JAMSTEC / Tohoku university (yamadayo@jamstec.go.jp)

Authors:

Yosuke Yamada, JAMSTEC / Tohoku University  (yamadayo@jamstec.gp.jp)

Toshiaki Mochizuki, OIST  (toshiaki.mochizuki@oist.jp)

Nirav Patel, SIO  (nrp003@ucsd.edu)

Farooq Azam, SIO  (fazam@ucsd.edu)

Satoshi Mitarai, OIST  (satoshi@oist.jp)