High-speed imaging of initial surface interactions during Vibrio cholerae surface attachment

Second messenger signaling through cyclic-di-GMP (cdGMP) controls bacterial biofilm formation and is produced by surface sensing. Canonically, cells undergo prolonged periods of ‘reversible attachment’ during which they sense the surface and cdGMP levels increase before they finally commit to ‘irreversible attachment’ to the surface. However, Vibrio cholerae (Vc), the pathogen responsible for cholera, appears to behave entirely differently: once cells attach to a surface, they remain attached and begin dividing to form a biofilm. Thus, observing and understanding the initial physical interactions between Vc cells and the surface and the consequent cdGMP signaling can further our understanding of hydrodynamic sensing and the initiation of biofilm formation. In this work, we leveraged a high-temporal-resolution cdGMP biosensor and high-speed imaging to observe signaling during the initial moments of surface attachment in Vibrio cholerae. Results will be discussed.