Label-free Gram-negative bacteria detection using bacteriophage-adhesin-coated long-period gratings.

This paper presents a novel application of a highly sensitive sensor based on long-period gratings (LPGs) coated with T4 bacteriophage adhesin for Gram-negative bacteria detection. We show here, that the sensor evidently recognizes Escherichia coli K-12 (PCM2560), whereas in the reference tests - ELISA and BIAcore - the results are questionable. For LPGs sensor the resonant wavelength shift observed for E. coli K-12 was approximately half of that measured for E.coli B (positive control). The BIAcore readings (RU) for E. coli K-12 were at 10% level of the signal obtained for E .coli B. These results confirm the improved sensitivity of the LPGs sensor. Moreover, we also show that application of adhesin may allow for efficient detection of E. coli O111 (PCM418), Klebsiella pneumoniae O1 (PCM1) and Yersinia enterocolitica O1 (PCM1879). The specificity of binding bacteria by the adhesin is discussed and it is determined by a distinct region of lipopolysaccharide receptors and/or by the presence of outer-membrane protein C in an outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria.