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Research Article
Carolina Rosai Mendes
Sao Paulo State University (UNESP)
Corresponding Author
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Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) are one of the most widely used nanoparticulate materials due to their antimicrobial properties, but their main mechanism of action (MOA) has not been fully elucidated. The study characterized ZnO NPs using X-ray diffraction, FT-IR spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Antimicrobial activity of clinically bacteria Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa was evaluated by REMA after exposure to the ZnO NP at concentrations from 0.2 to 1.4 mM. Sensitivity was achieved at 0.6 mM for the Gram-negatives and 1.0 mM for Gram-positives cells. The effect of ZnO NPs on the membrane integrity and in the interference of cell division was investigated by its effect on the divisional ring, through fluorescence microscopy assays using B. subtilis (amy::pspac-ftsZ-gfpmut1) expressing FtsZ-GFP. Results showed that ZnO NPs did not interfere with the assembly of the divisional Z-ring. However, 70% of the cells showed damage in the cytoplasmic membrane after 15 min of exposure to the ZnO NPs. Electrostatic forces, production of Zn2+ ions, generation of reactive oxygen species were described as pathways of bactericidal action by ZnO. Thus, understanding bactericidal MOA can produce predictive models to prevent bacterial resistance and lead to further research.
Keywords
Nanomaterial, Metal oxide, Bactericidal mechanism of action, Membrane integrity, Interference on the FtsZ ring.
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No competing interests reported.
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This preprint is under consideration at Scientific Reports. A preprint is a preliminary version of a manuscript that has not completed peer review at a journal. Research Square does not conduct peer review prior to posting preprints. The posting of a preprint on this server should not be interpreted as an endorsement of its validity or suitability for dissemination as established information or for guiding clinical practice.
Learn more about In Review
Research Article
Carolina Rosai Mendes
Sao Paulo State University (UNESP)
Corresponding Author
Badges
Prescreen
This manuscript passed our Prescreen assessment
Complete author information
Appropriate declaration statements
Potential risks to human health
Prescreen
Peer Review Timeline
CURRENT STATUS: Under Review
Version 1
Posted 12 Nov, 2021
No community comments so far
Reviewers agreed
On 13 Nov, 2021
Reviewers invited
Invitations sent on 10 Nov, 2021
Editor assigned
On 10 Nov, 2021
Editor invited
On 10 Nov, 2021
Submission checks complete
On 10 Nov, 2021
First submitted
On 05 Nov, 2021
Metrics
Comments: 0
PDF Downloads: ...
HTML Views: ...
License:
This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License. Read Full License
Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) are one of the most widely used nanoparticulate materials due to their antimicrobial properties, but their main mechanism of action (MOA) has not been fully elucidated. The study characterized ZnO NPs using X-ray diffraction, FT-IR spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Antimicrobial activity of clinically bacteria Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa was evaluated by REMA after exposure to the ZnO NP at concentrations from 0.2 to 1.4 mM. Sensitivity was achieved at 0.6 mM for the Gram-negatives and 1.0 mM for Gram-positives cells. The effect of ZnO NPs on the membrane integrity and in the interference of cell division was investigated by its effect on the divisional ring, through fluorescence microscopy assays using B. subtilis (amy::pspac-ftsZ-gfpmut1) expressing FtsZ-GFP. Results showed that ZnO NPs did not interfere with the assembly of the divisional Z-ring. However, 70% of the cells showed damage in the cytoplasmic membrane after 15 min of exposure to the ZnO NPs. Electrostatic forces, production of Zn2+ ions, generation of reactive oxygen species were described as pathways of bactericidal action by ZnO. Thus, understanding bactericidal MOA can produce predictive models to prevent bacterial resistance and lead to further research.
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
Figure 7
Figure 8
No competing interests reported.
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