Role of energy metabolism in Mycoplasma pneumoniae attachment to glass surfaces

Abstract

Attachment values of M. pneumoniae to glass are normally very low when tested in buffer containing bovine serum albumin (10 mg/ml). Addition of 1 of the metabolizable sugars glucose, fructose or mannose increased attachment > 10-fold. The effect was dose-dependent with a distinct optimum at .apprx. 0.25 mg/ml. Higher concentrations reduced this effect. Not only the sugars themselves but also the products of their catabolism, pyruvate and phosphoenolpyruvate, enhanced attachment. Pyruvate was effective in the same range of concentrations as the sugars; phosphoenolpyruvate enhanced attachment at a significantly lower concentration (0.001 mg/ml). Higher levels of these substances also resulted in decreased attachment. The glucose-induced increase could be partially inhibited by glucose analogs, especially by 3-O-methyl-glucopyranoside, and by various glycolysis inhibitors. Attachment was strongly reduced by the uncoupling agents, carbonylcyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone and 2,4-dinitrophenol, and by dicyclohexylcarbodiimide, an inhibitor of the membrane-bound Mg2+ ATPase; the ionophore valinomycin increased attachment by about 30%. Strong evidence was thus found for coupling between the attachment process of M. pneumoniae to glass and the utilization of metabolic energy.