Mechanosensing in Early Biofilm Formation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Bacterial biofilms emerge as complex, self-organized systems governed by both biological signaling and physical forces. The transition from free-swimming bacteria to a surface-adhered community is influenced by the mechanical environment, yet the mechanisms by which bacteria sense physical cues remain unclear. This study investigates how P. aeruginosa senses changes in substrate stiffness during early biofilm formation, with a focus on the envelope protein PilY1's role in mechanosensing. We created agarose gels of varying concentrations to modulate substrate stiffness, then inoculated these surfaces separately with P. aeruginosa wild type and a ΔPilY1 mutant strain. By comparing bacterial accumulation across different substrate stiffnesses, we aimed to elucidate the role of PilY1 in mechanosensing during initial surface attachment and biofilm formation. The ΔPilY1 mutant exhibited reduced mechanosensitivity, demonstrating that PilY1 plays a crucial role in P. aeruginosa's ability to sense and respond to mechanical cues during early biofilm formation.