Molecular self-assembly mediates the flocculation activity of benzimidazole derivatives against E. coli
Abstract Bacterial flocculation is a process in which bacteria aggregate to form cloudy, flake-like clusters known as flocs. While this phenomenon is commonly associated with water treatment, it also has interesting industrial applications, particularly as a method for cell immobilisation. Escherich...
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Nature Portfolio
2025-08-01
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-13837-z |
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| author | Isalyne Drewek Aurélie Pietka Thi Quynh Tran Marharyta Blazhynska Adéla Jeništova Christophe Chipot Andreas Barth Mathieu Surin Philippe Leclère Ruddy Wattiez Robert N. Muller Dimitri Stanicki Sophie Laurent |
| author_facet | Isalyne Drewek Aurélie Pietka Thi Quynh Tran Marharyta Blazhynska Adéla Jeništova Christophe Chipot Andreas Barth Mathieu Surin Philippe Leclère Ruddy Wattiez Robert N. Muller Dimitri Stanicki Sophie Laurent |
| author_sort | Isalyne Drewek |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Bacterial flocculation is a process in which bacteria aggregate to form cloudy, flake-like clusters known as flocs. While this phenomenon is commonly associated with water treatment, it also has interesting industrial applications, particularly as a method for cell immobilisation. Escherichia coli, extensively employed in industrial processes, typically does not possess inherent flocculation ability. In this study, we found that certain bisbenzimidazole derivatives can rapidly induce flocculation in E. coli (K-12 MG1655) in a structure-dependent manner. Among others, high-resolution microscopy (SEM, fluid AFM) revealed a dense fibrillar network within the flocs, initially suggestive of an extracellular matrix. Mechanistic investigations demonstrated that this phenomenon cannot be linked to the secretion of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). Our findings suggest that flocculation arises from the self-assembly of bisbenzimidazole derivatives into supramolecular fibres that anchor to bacterial membranes. These results uncover an atypical flocculation process distinct from charge neutralisation or EPS-mediated pathways, broadening the potential applications of bisbenzimidazole derivatives in bacterial immobilisation. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e7aa2e1e2fcb47babac799e442e28da5 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj-art-e7aa2e1e2fcb47babac799e442e28da52025-08-20T03:05:21ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-08-0115111810.1038/s41598-025-13837-zMolecular self-assembly mediates the flocculation activity of benzimidazole derivatives against E. coliIsalyne Drewek0Aurélie Pietka1Thi Quynh Tran2Marharyta Blazhynska3Adéla Jeništova4Christophe Chipot5Andreas Barth6Mathieu Surin7Philippe Leclère8Ruddy Wattiez9Robert N. Muller10Dimitri Stanicki11Sophie Laurent12General, Organic and Biomedical Chemistry Unit (CGOB), Laboratory of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and Molecular Imaging, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Mons - UMONSGeneral, Organic and Biomedical Chemistry Unit (CGOB), Laboratory of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and Molecular Imaging, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Mons - UMONSLaboratory for Physics of Nanomaterials and Energy, Research Institute for Materials, University of Mons - UMONSLaboratoire International Associé Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignDepartment of Biochemistry and Biophysics, The Arrhenius Laboratories for Natural Sciences, Stockholm UniversityLaboratoire International Associé Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignDepartment of Biochemistry and Biophysics, The Arrhenius Laboratories for Natural Sciences, Stockholm UniversityLaboratory for Chemistry of Novel Materials, Centre of Innovation and Research in Materials and Polymers (CIRMAP), University of Mons - UMONSLaboratory for Physics of Nanomaterials and Energy, Research Institute for Materials, University of Mons - UMONSLaboratory of Proteomics and Microbiology, University of Mons - UMONSGeneral, Organic and Biomedical Chemistry Unit (CGOB), Laboratory of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and Molecular Imaging, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Mons - UMONSGeneral, Organic and Biomedical Chemistry Unit (CGOB), Laboratory of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and Molecular Imaging, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Mons - UMONSGeneral, Organic and Biomedical Chemistry Unit (CGOB), Laboratory of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and Molecular Imaging, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Mons - UMONSAbstract Bacterial flocculation is a process in which bacteria aggregate to form cloudy, flake-like clusters known as flocs. While this phenomenon is commonly associated with water treatment, it also has interesting industrial applications, particularly as a method for cell immobilisation. Escherichia coli, extensively employed in industrial processes, typically does not possess inherent flocculation ability. In this study, we found that certain bisbenzimidazole derivatives can rapidly induce flocculation in E. coli (K-12 MG1655) in a structure-dependent manner. Among others, high-resolution microscopy (SEM, fluid AFM) revealed a dense fibrillar network within the flocs, initially suggestive of an extracellular matrix. Mechanistic investigations demonstrated that this phenomenon cannot be linked to the secretion of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). Our findings suggest that flocculation arises from the self-assembly of bisbenzimidazole derivatives into supramolecular fibres that anchor to bacterial membranes. These results uncover an atypical flocculation process distinct from charge neutralisation or EPS-mediated pathways, broadening the potential applications of bisbenzimidazole derivatives in bacterial immobilisation.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-13837-zBenzimidazole derivativesBacterial flocculationE. coliMolecular self-assembly |
| spellingShingle | Isalyne Drewek Aurélie Pietka Thi Quynh Tran Marharyta Blazhynska Adéla Jeništova Christophe Chipot Andreas Barth Mathieu Surin Philippe Leclère Ruddy Wattiez Robert N. Muller Dimitri Stanicki Sophie Laurent Molecular self-assembly mediates the flocculation activity of benzimidazole derivatives against E. coli Scientific Reports Benzimidazole derivatives Bacterial flocculation E. coli Molecular self-assembly |
| title | Molecular self-assembly mediates the flocculation activity of benzimidazole derivatives against E. coli |
| title_full | Molecular self-assembly mediates the flocculation activity of benzimidazole derivatives against E. coli |
| title_fullStr | Molecular self-assembly mediates the flocculation activity of benzimidazole derivatives against E. coli |
| title_full_unstemmed | Molecular self-assembly mediates the flocculation activity of benzimidazole derivatives against E. coli |
| title_short | Molecular self-assembly mediates the flocculation activity of benzimidazole derivatives against E. coli |
| title_sort | molecular self assembly mediates the flocculation activity of benzimidazole derivatives against e coli |
| topic | Benzimidazole derivatives Bacterial flocculation E. coli Molecular self-assembly |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-13837-z |
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