Chemical Functionalization of the Zinc Selenide Surface and Its Impact on Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG Biofilms

Bacteria grow on surfaces and form communities called biofilms. Bacterial adhesion and properties of the derived biofilms depend on, among others, the nature of the supporting substrate. Here, we report how the surface properties of the substrate affect the biofilm growth of probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG). Hydrophilic (OH), hydrophobic (CH3), and positively charged (NH3+) surfaces were obtained by the functionalization of a ZnSe crystal with alkanethiol self-assembled monolayers (SAM). The self-assembly of alkanethiols onto ZnSe was studied in situ using infrared spectroscopy in attenuated total reflection mode (ATR-FTIR). The organization of grafted SAMs was analyzed based on the results of ATR-FTIR, high-energy elastic backscattering spectrometry, and contact angle measurements. The kinetics and adhesion strength of LGG initial attachment as well as its physiological state on surfaces terminated by the different functional groups were assessed by the combination of ATR-FTIR, force measurements based on atomic force microscopy, and fluorescent staining of bacteria. The strength of interactions between LGG and the surface was strongly affected by the terminal group of the alkanethiol chain. The −NH3+ groups displayed the highest affinity with LGG at the first stage of interaction. The surface properties also played an important role when LGG biofilms were further grown in a nutritive medium for 24 h under flow conditions. Notably, the analysis of the infrared spectra recorded during the biofilm cultivation revealed differences in the kinetics of growth and in the polysaccharide features of the biofilm depending on the substrate functionality. LGG biofilm was stable only on the positively charged surface upon rinsing. Findings of this work clearly show that the adhesion features and the growth of LGG biofilms are substrate-dependent.