Two-step formation mechanism of Acetobacter cellulosic biofilm: synthesis of sparse and compact cellulose

• Published in: Cellulose (London) Vol. 23; no. 2; pp. 1087 - 1100
• Main Authors: Yassine, Fatima, Bassil, Nathalie, Chokr, Ali, El Samrani, Antoine, Serghei, Anatoli, Boiteux, Gisèle, El Tahchi, Mario
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01-04-2016; Springer Nature B.V; Springer Verlag
• Subjects: Acetobacter; biofilm; Bioorganic Chemistry; Cellulose; Ceramics; Chemical Sciences; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Composites; Containers; Culture; Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy; Glass; Gluconacetobacter xylinus; hydrodynamics; logit analysis; Material chemistry; microbial physiology; Natural Materials; Organic Chemistry; Original Paper; Physical Chemistry; Physiology; Polymer Sciences; Polymers; scanning electron microscopy; Sustainable Development; viscosity; X-ray diffraction; Cellulosic biofilm; Logistic equation; Bacterial growth; Sparse bacterial cellulose; Bacterial growthAcetobacterSparse bacterial celluloseCellulosic biofilmLogistic equation
• ISSN: 0969-0239; 1572-882X
• DOI: 10.1007/s10570-016-0884-3

Classical studies concerning “Acetobacter xylinum” focus on bacterial cellulose “BC” yield and rate in broth, after a long period of incubation (7–14 days). Such observations do not highlight bacterial physiology in the first incubation hours and its impact on BC production. In this study, the growth of a wild strain of Acetobacter was monitored in the first incubation hours. We showed the presence of two different physiologies; the first extends from the incubation moment till the formation of a sparse BC. Sparse BC modifies surface viscosity, and stabilizes hydrodynamic conditions to initiate compact BC production that marks the second physiology. Two containers, of different shapes, were used to confirm our findings, one of which is a culture tube with high drift currents on the broth-air interface, and the other is a conical flask with more stable hydrodynamic conditions at the culture’s surface. We showed that Acetobacter always follows two physiologies independent of the container shape. Logistic model, FTIR, XRD and SEM analysis are used to confirm the results.