Figure 2.

Osmotic pressure affects the biofilm plateau modulus and the effect depends on particular matrix components. a) Schematic of the V. cholerae biofilm matrix components contributing to its mechanical properties. Yellow cylinders denote cells. Black curvy lines (left) denote cell surface LPS. Red wavy lines (right) denote VPS filling interstitial spaces. Blue dots (right bottom) denote the RbmC and Bap1 proteins that crosslink the VPS network. The green symbols (bottom left) denote RbmA proteins that connect neighboring cells. b) Shown from left to right are the plateau storage moduli G'_p for biofilms containing cells only (ΔrbmAΔbap1ΔrbmCΔvpsL, white), cells and VPS (ΔrbmAΔbap1ΔrbmC, red), and with RbmA (Δbap1ΔrbmC, green), and with RbmC and Bap1 (ΔrbmA, blue), and with all matrix components (WT, gray), grown on medium solidified with the designated concentrations of agar, respectively. Error bars correspond to standard deviations with n = 3.