Protein Adsorption and Its Role in Bacterial Film Development

摘要

The Research Objectives are: to investigate the mechanisms of protein adsorption, the effect of adsorption on protein conformation, and relationships among surface properties, protein conformation, and bacterial film development on surfaces placed in seawater. Proteins are important in regulating microbial fouling of surfaces placed in seawater. Our ONR accomplishments are: 1) using an immuno-assay, we showed that the algal protein, ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase (RuBPCase) is dissolved in seawater at concentrations higher than expected for a single protein; 2) a new method for measuring combined amino acids (includes proteins) in seawater was shown to measure higher concentration than the old method; 3) the basic mechanism and factors governing RuBPCase adsorption in seawater were described; and 4) the relationships among surface wettability, degradation of adsorbed protein, and bacterial growth were examined. In the future, we propose: 1) To determine, using immuno-assays, how (if at all) an immobile cell can degrade adsorbed protein not in contact with the cell; and 2) To examine, using transposon mutagenesis, the possible relationship between attachment and nutritional requirements of the attaching bacterium. Keywords: Protein adsorption; Bacterial attachment; Fouling. (kt)