Analysis of Transcriptome in Enterococcus faecalis Treated with Silver Nanoparticles.

Area of Science:

• Nanotechnology
• Microbiology
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• Enterococcus faecalis is a common bacterium in dental infections.
• Silver nanoparticles show promise for disinfecting root canals.
• The mechanism of silver nanoparticle action against E. faecalis is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of silver nanoparticles on E. faecalis growth.
• To explore the transcriptomic changes in E. faecalis treated with silver nanoparticles.
• To elucidate the mechanism of silver nanoparticle-mediated disinfection.

Main Methods:

• Bacterial growth assays.
• RNA sequencing technology to analyze gene expression.
• Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses.

Main Results:

• Silver nanoparticles inhibited E. faecalis growth in a dose-dependent manner.
• 100 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, with 97 downregulated.
• Enriched pathways included carbohydrate metabolism, energy metabolism, and the TCA cycle.

Conclusions:

• Silver nanoparticles significantly impact E. faecalis gene expression.
• Altered carbohydrate and energy metabolism, including the TCA cycle, are key mechanisms.
• Findings support the use of silver nanoparticles for E. faecalis disinfection in root canal therapy.