E. coli and S. aureus resist silver nanoparticles via an identical mechanism, but through different pathways

Abstract Nanostructured materials with antibacterial activity face the same threat as conventional antibiotics - bacterial resistance, which reduces their effectiveness. However, unlike antibiotics, research into the emergence and mechanisms of bacterial resistance to antibacterial nanomaterials is...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Lucie Hochvaldová, David Panáček, Lucie Válková, Renata Večeřová, Milan Kolář, Robert Prucek, Libor Kvítek, Aleš Panáček
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2024-11-01
Series:Communications Biology
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-024-07266-3
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849221026195439616
author Lucie Hochvaldová
David Panáček
Lucie Válková
Renata Večeřová
Milan Kolář
Robert Prucek
Libor Kvítek
Aleš Panáček
author_facet Lucie Hochvaldová
David Panáček
Lucie Válková
Renata Večeřová
Milan Kolář
Robert Prucek
Libor Kvítek
Aleš Panáček
author_sort Lucie Hochvaldová
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Nanostructured materials with antibacterial activity face the same threat as conventional antibiotics - bacterial resistance, which reduces their effectiveness. However, unlike antibiotics, research into the emergence and mechanisms of bacterial resistance to antibacterial nanomaterials is still in its early stages. Here we show how Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and Gram-negative Escherichia coli bacteria develop resistance to silver nanoparticles, resulting in an increase in the minimum inhibitory concentration from 1.69 mg/L for S. aureus and 3.38 mg/L for E. coli to 54 mg/L with repeated exposure over 12 and 6 cultivation steps, respectively. The mechanism of resistance is the same for both types of bacteria and involves the aggregation of silver nanoparticles leading to the formation of black precipitates. However, the way in which Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria induce aggregation of silver nanoparticles is completely different. Chemical analysis of the surface of the silver precipitates shows that aggregation is triggered by flagellin production in E. coli and by bacterial biofilm formation in S. aureus. However, resistance in both types of bacteria can be overcome by using pomegranate rind extract, which inhibits both flagellin and biofilm production, or by stabilizing the silver nanoparticles by covalently binding them to a composite material containing graphene sheets, which protects the silver nanoparticles from aggregation induced by the bacterial biofilm produced by S. aureus. This research improves the understanding of bacterial resistance mechanisms to nanostructured materials, which differ from resistance mechanisms to conventional antibiotics, and provides potential strategies to combat bacterial resistance and develop more effective antimicrobial treatments.
format Article
id doaj-art-bc1284b9eeb44b248396ec87b6f10a84
institution Kabale University
issn 2399-3642
language English
publishDate 2024-11-01
publisher Nature Portfolio
record_format Article
series Communications Biology
spelling doaj-art-bc1284b9eeb44b248396ec87b6f10a842024-11-24T12:38:59ZengNature PortfolioCommunications Biology2399-36422024-11-017111010.1038/s42003-024-07266-3E. coli and S. aureus resist silver nanoparticles via an identical mechanism, but through different pathwaysLucie Hochvaldová0David Panáček1Lucie Válková2Renata Večeřová3Milan Kolář4Robert Prucek5Libor Kvítek6Aleš Panáček7Department of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Palacký University in Olomouc, 17. listopadu 12Department of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Palacký University in Olomouc, 17. listopadu 12Department of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Palacký University in Olomouc, 17. listopadu 12Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacký University in Olomouc, Hněvotínská 3Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacký University in Olomouc, Hněvotínská 3Department of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Palacký University in Olomouc, 17. listopadu 12Department of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Palacký University in Olomouc, 17. listopadu 12Department of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Palacký University in Olomouc, 17. listopadu 12Abstract Nanostructured materials with antibacterial activity face the same threat as conventional antibiotics - bacterial resistance, which reduces their effectiveness. However, unlike antibiotics, research into the emergence and mechanisms of bacterial resistance to antibacterial nanomaterials is still in its early stages. Here we show how Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and Gram-negative Escherichia coli bacteria develop resistance to silver nanoparticles, resulting in an increase in the minimum inhibitory concentration from 1.69 mg/L for S. aureus and 3.38 mg/L for E. coli to 54 mg/L with repeated exposure over 12 and 6 cultivation steps, respectively. The mechanism of resistance is the same for both types of bacteria and involves the aggregation of silver nanoparticles leading to the formation of black precipitates. However, the way in which Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria induce aggregation of silver nanoparticles is completely different. Chemical analysis of the surface of the silver precipitates shows that aggregation is triggered by flagellin production in E. coli and by bacterial biofilm formation in S. aureus. However, resistance in both types of bacteria can be overcome by using pomegranate rind extract, which inhibits both flagellin and biofilm production, or by stabilizing the silver nanoparticles by covalently binding them to a composite material containing graphene sheets, which protects the silver nanoparticles from aggregation induced by the bacterial biofilm produced by S. aureus. This research improves the understanding of bacterial resistance mechanisms to nanostructured materials, which differ from resistance mechanisms to conventional antibiotics, and provides potential strategies to combat bacterial resistance and develop more effective antimicrobial treatments.https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-024-07266-3
spellingShingle Lucie Hochvaldová
David Panáček
Lucie Válková
Renata Večeřová
Milan Kolář
Robert Prucek
Libor Kvítek
Aleš Panáček
E. coli and S. aureus resist silver nanoparticles via an identical mechanism, but through different pathways
Communications Biology
title E. coli and S. aureus resist silver nanoparticles via an identical mechanism, but through different pathways
title_full E. coli and S. aureus resist silver nanoparticles via an identical mechanism, but through different pathways
title_fullStr E. coli and S. aureus resist silver nanoparticles via an identical mechanism, but through different pathways
title_full_unstemmed E. coli and S. aureus resist silver nanoparticles via an identical mechanism, but through different pathways
title_short E. coli and S. aureus resist silver nanoparticles via an identical mechanism, but through different pathways
title_sort e coli and s aureus resist silver nanoparticles via an identical mechanism but through different pathways
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-024-07266-3
work_keys_str_mv AT luciehochvaldova ecoliandsaureusresistsilvernanoparticlesviaanidenticalmechanismbutthroughdifferentpathways
AT davidpanacek ecoliandsaureusresistsilvernanoparticlesviaanidenticalmechanismbutthroughdifferentpathways
AT lucievalkova ecoliandsaureusresistsilvernanoparticlesviaanidenticalmechanismbutthroughdifferentpathways
AT renatavecerova ecoliandsaureusresistsilvernanoparticlesviaanidenticalmechanismbutthroughdifferentpathways
AT milankolar ecoliandsaureusresistsilvernanoparticlesviaanidenticalmechanismbutthroughdifferentpathways
AT robertprucek ecoliandsaureusresistsilvernanoparticlesviaanidenticalmechanismbutthroughdifferentpathways
AT liborkvitek ecoliandsaureusresistsilvernanoparticlesviaanidenticalmechanismbutthroughdifferentpathways
AT alespanacek ecoliandsaureusresistsilvernanoparticlesviaanidenticalmechanismbutthroughdifferentpathways