Molecular Adhesion of a Pilus‐derived Peptide Involved in Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilm Formation on non‐polar ZnO Surfaces

<jats:p>Bacterial colonization and biofilm formation on abiotic surfaces are initiated by the adhesion of peptides and proteins. Understanding the adhesion of such peptides and proteins at a molecular level thus represents an important step toward controlling and suppressing biofilm formation on technological and medical materials. This study investigates the molecular adhesion of a pilus‐derived peptide that facilitates biofilm formation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a multidrug‐resistant opportunistic pathogen frequently encountered in healthcare settings. Single‐molecule force spectroscopy (SMFS) was performed on chemically etched ZnO surfaces to gather insights about peptide adsorption force and its kinetics. Metal‐free click chemistry for the fabrication of peptide‐terminated SMFS cantilevers was performed on amine‐terminated gold cantilevers and verified by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and polarization‐modulated infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (PM‐IRRAS). Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and XPS analyses reveal stable topographies and surface chemistries of the substrates that are not affected by SMFS. Rupture events described by the worm‐like chain model (WLC) up to 600 pN were detected for the non‐polar ZnO(11‐20) surfaces. The dissociation barrier energy at zero force ΔG(0), the transition state distance xb and bound‐unbound dissociation rate at zero force koff(0) for the single crystalline substrate indicate that coordination and hydrogen bonds dominate the peptide/surface interaction.</jats:p>