Data from: Three-Dimensional Organization of Self-Encapsulating Gluconobacter oxydans Bacterial Cells

Attached file provides supplementary data for linked article. The data consists of three videos - one movie showing the self-assembly of G. oxydans in the PVA–VP system over a 1 hour period, one movie showing time-lapsed CLSM showing the self-assembly of G. oxydans in PVA–VP over a 24 h period, and one movie showing interactions between acetan and PVA–VP polymer - plus one PDF showing supporting materials and methods and results and discussion.

Self-organized bacteria have been the subject of interest for a number of applications, including the construction of microbial fuel cells. In this paper, we describe the formation of a self-organized, three-dimensional network that is constructed using Gluconobacter oxydans B-1280 cells in a hydrogel consisting of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) with N-vinyl pyrrolidone (VP) as a cross-linker, in which the bacterial cells are organized in a particular side-by-side alignment. We demonstrated that nonmotile G. oxydans cells are able to reorganize themselves, transforming and utilizing PVA–VP polymeric networks through the molecular interactions of bacterial extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) components such as acetan, cellulose, dextran, and levan. Molecular dynamics simulations of the G. oxydans EPS components interacting with the hydrogel polymeric network showed that the solvent-exposed loops of PVA–VP extended and engaged in bacterial self-encapsulation.