Electrical wiring of live, metabolically enhanced Bacillus subtilis cells with flexible osmium-redox polymers.

Summary, in English

The present study explores genetic engineering of the respiratory chain and the application of two different flexible osmium redox polymers to achieve efficient electric communication between the gram-positive organism Bacillus subtilis and an electrode. Poly(1-vinylimidazole)(12)-[Os-(4,4'-dimethyl-2,2'-bipyridyl)(2)Cl(2)](+/2+) (osmium redox polymer I) and poly(vinylpyridine)-[Os-(N,N'-methylated-2,2'-biimidazole)(3)](2+/3+) (osmium redox polymer II) were investigated for efficient electrical "wiring" of viable gram-positive bacterial cells to electrodes. Using a B. subtilis strain that overproduces succinate/quinone oxidoreductase (respiratory complex II), we were able to improve the current response several fold using succinate as substrate, in both batch and flow analysis modes, and using gold and graphite electrodes. The efficiency of the osmium redox polymer, working as electron transfer mediator between the cells and the electrode, was compared with that of a soluble mediator (hexacyanoferrate). The results demonstrated that mediators did not have to pass the cytosolic membrane to bring about an efficient electronic communication between bacterial cells with a thick cell wall and electrodes.

• Author: Vasile Coman; Tobias Gustavsson; Arnonas Finkelsteinas; Claes von Wachenfeldt; Cecilia Hägerhäll; Lo Gorton
• Department/s: Centre for Analysis and Synthesis; Biochemistry and Structural Biology; Molecular Cell Biology; Microbiology Group
• Publishing year: 2009
• Language: English
• Pages: 16171-16176
• Publication/Series: Journal of the American Chemical Society
• Volume: 131
• Issue: 44
• Links: http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/ja905442a
• Document type: Journal article
• Publisher: The American Chemical Society (ACS)
• Topic: Biological Sciences
• Status: Published
• Research group: Microbiology Group
• ISBN/ISSN/Other: ISSN: 1520-5126