Antibacterial mechanism of gold nanoparticles on Streptococcus pneumoniae
Edgar Augusto Ortiz-Benítez1, Norma Velázquez-Guadarrama2, Noé Valentín Durán Figueroa1
1Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Unidad Profesional Interdisciplinaria de Biotecnología, Ciudad de México, Mexico.
Insights
Gold nanoparticles show potential for treating infections caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae, a bacterium causing pneumonia and meningitis. Researchers identified proteins facilitating gold nanoparticle entry into bacterial cells, offering new therapeutic insights.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Nanotechnology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Streptococcus pneumoniae causes severe infections like pneumonia, meningitis, and septicemia, leading to high mortality rates globally.
- Antibiotic resistance in S. pneumoniae necessitates novel therapeutic strategies.
- Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are explored for antibacterial applications, but their mechanism of action against S. pneumoniae is not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the interaction mechanism of gold nanoparticles with Streptococcus pneumoniae.
- To develop a method for separating and analyzing biomolecules associated with gold nanoparticles within bacterial cells.
- To identify specific proteins involved in gold nanoparticle uptake by S. pneumoniae.
Main Methods:
- A novel separation process was developed to isolate inclusion bodies of gold nanoparticles from S. pneumoniae cytosol.
- Biomolecules (carbohydrates, lipids, proteins) associated with internalized gold nanoparticles were analyzed.
- Proteomic analysis was performed to identify proteins bound to gold nanoparticles.
Main Results:
- Gold nanoparticles were observed to enter Streptococcus pneumoniae cells and form inclusion bodies in the cytosol.
- The developed method successfully separated and allowed for the analysis of biomolecules associated with gold nanoparticles.
- Specific proteins were identified and separated, indicating their potential role in facilitating gold nanoparticle interaction and entry into S. pneumoniae.
Conclusions:
- The study elucidates a novel aspect of gold nanoparticle interaction with Streptococcus pneumoniae.
- Identified proteins are potential candidates for mediating gold nanoparticle uptake, paving the way for targeted antibacterial therapies.
- This research contributes to understanding nanoparticle-bacteria interactions for developing new anti-pneumococcal strategies.
Abstract:
Streptococcus pneumoniae is a causal agent of otitis media, pneumonia, meningitis and severe cases of septicemia. This human pathogen infects elderly people and children with a high mortality rate of approximately one million deaths per year worldwide. Antibiotic-resistance of S. pneumoniae strains is an increasingly serious health problem; therefore, new therapies capable of combating pneumococcal infections are indispensable. The application of gold nanoparticles has emerged as an option in the control of bacterial infections; however, the mechanism responsible for bacterial cell lysis remains unclear. Specifically, it has been observed that gold nanoparticles are capable of crossing different structures of the S. pneumoniae cells, reaching the cytosol where inclusion bodies of gold nanoparticles are noticed. In this work, a novel process for the separation of such inclusion bodies that allowed the analysis of the biomolecules such as carbohydrates, lipids and proteins associated with the gold nanoparticles was developed. Then, it was possible to separate and identify proteins associated with the gold nanoparticles, which were suggested as possible candidates that facilitate the interaction and entry of gold nanoparticles into S. pneumoniae cells.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Pneumonia I: Introduction
Risk Factors
Various factors influence the likelihood of developing pneumonia. Age plays a crucial role, with infants, children under two, and individuals over 65 at increased risk due to their...
01:29Pneumonia II: Pathophysiology
01:28Pneumonia IV: Management
Bacterial Pneumonia Treatment
For bacterial pneumonia, antibiotics serve as the cornerstone of therapy. Initial treatment often begins with empirical antibiotics, tailored to the anticipated causative organism and adjusted based on culture results. Key antibiotic choices include:
01:30Pneumonia V: Nursing management and Prevention
The nurse must practice strict medical asepsis and adhere to infection control guidelines to minimize healthcare-associated infections.
Enhance airway patency
Position the patient correctly to facilitate drainage of the affected lung segments. Manual or mechanical percussion and vibration can also be employed....
01:30Pneumonia III: Complications and Assessment
03:06Reaction Mechanisms
For instance, the decomposition of ozone appears to follow a mechanism with two steps: