Surface characteristics of the microbial cell of Pseudomonas syringae and its relevance to cell attachment

The cell surface of four strains of Pseudomonas syringae pv. atropurpurea NIAES 1309 was characterized by analyzing the dependence of the electrophoretic mobility of the microbial cells on pH and ionic strength. Among the strains, the wild type (WT) had the least electric charge, while carrying the softest polymer layer, at the surface. The cell surface of the WT strain was determined, by chemical analysis, to be rich in sugar, and thus seems to be bulky because of hydration. The number of cells attached to a glass plate was least for the WT strain. These findings led to the assumption that a soft and hydrated polymer layer at the cell surface may hinder the cell attachment. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.