Surface hydrophobicity of acidophilic heterotrophic bacterial cells in relation to their adhesion on minerals

Abstract

The cell-surface hydrophobicity of acidophilic heterotrophic bacteria originating from mines varied with the pH of the suspending medium and with the growth temperature. Adhesion of these bacterial cells on mineral particles depended upon the hydrophobic (or hydrophilic) nature of both the cells and the minerals. A strong correlation between these properties was usually observed at different pH values of the suspending medium. At a certain pH value, bacterial attachment depended upon the particle size of the minerals. Key words: hydrophobicity, acidophilic bacteria, Acidiphilium cryptum, Acidiphilium symbioticum, adhesion, manganese nodule, chalcopyrite, iron pyrite.