Electrical communication of cytochrome enriched Escherichia coli JM109 cells with graphite electrodes

In the present study three different strains of Escherichia coli (JM109 – a native “wild type” strain, JM109/pBSD 1300 – a strain overproducing the membrane anchor domain of Bacillus subtilis succinate-quinone reductase, SQR, a protein that contains two transmembraneously arranged heme groups and JM109/pLUV 1900 – a strain overproducing cytochrome c550 from B. subtilis, a protein where the cytochrome domain is anchored to the membrane with a transmembrane helix) were immobilised on the surface of a spectrographic graphite electrode and tested for electrical communication using mediators. Such compounds as ferricyanide, 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol (DCPIP) and ubiquinone (Q0) were used as soluble mediators and two flexible osmium redox polymers; poly(1-vinylimidazole)12-[Os-(4,4′-dimethyl-2,2′-di’pyridyl)2Cl2]2+/+ (osmium redox polymer I) and poly(vinylpyridine)-[Os-(N,N′-methylated-2,2′-biimidazole)3]2+/3+ (osmium redox polymer II) were co-immobilised with the bacterial cells onto the electrode surface. The effects of applied potential, buffer pH and different substrates were compared for the different combinations bacterial strains – mediators. Through the introduction of the cytochromes in the bacterial membrane it was established that it had great effect on the ability of the bacterial cells to effectively communicate with artificial mediators. The introduction of the transmembraneously arranged heme groups of B. subtilis made it possible for this strain to communicate with the Os-polymers, whereas the introduction of the cytochrome c550 had an effect especially increasing ability of Q0 to act as an efficient e− acceptor.