FUNCTIONAL-HETEROGENEITY OF THE CELL-SURFACE AS THE FACTOR OF THE HETEROCOAGULATION OF MICROBIAL-CELLS AND MINERAL PARTICLES

The authors' own experimental and theoretical published data concernin g the problem of the interaction of microbial cells with finely disper sed mineral particles are analyzed. It was shown that one of the most spectacular results of this interaction is selective heterocoagulation , which is dependent on many factors (including the ratio between the dimensions of the interacting particles and cells); however, the key f actor is the mosaic pattern of the cell surface properties. It was con firmed experimentally that the mosaic pattern of the cell surface prod uced, in particular, by the heterogeneous distribution of the active e nzymes participating in ion exchange over the cell surface (functional heterogeneity) may be a more substantial factor than the mosaic patte rn associated with the heterogeneous distribution of structural compon ents (structural heterogeneity). With reference to experimental data s upporting the role of functional surface heterogeneity of cells in the ir interaction with the mineral components of the external medium, the known hypotheses explaining the mechanism of the cell-particle intera ction are discussed.