Combating Antibiotic‐Resistant Gram‐Negative Bacteria Strains with Tetracycline‐Conjugated Carbon Nanoparticles. Issue 9 (16th August 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kim, Tak H.; Raiz, Asim; Unni, Aradhana Devi; Murhekar, Shweta; Donose, Bogdan C.; Floetenmeyer, Matthias; Cock, Ian E.; Brown, Christopher L.
• Is Part Of: Advanced biosystems. Volume 4:Issue 9(2020)
• Page Start: n/a
• Page End: n/a
• Publication Date: 2020-08-16
• Subjects: antibacterial nanoparticles -- antibiotics -- carbon nanoparticles -- efflux pumps -- multidrug resistances; Biological systems -- Periodicals; Biotechnology -- Periodicals; Bioengineering -- Periodicals; Biomedical engineering -- Periodicals; Biological Science Disciplines; Periodicals; Periodicals; 660.6
• DOI: 10.1002/adbi.202000074
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2366-7478

Abstract

Abstract: Nontoxic carbon nanoparticle samples prepared by both bottom‐up and top‐down approaches do not inhibit Gram‐negative bacterial growth, indicating excellent biocompatibilities. However, cell growth inhibitory efficacies increase considerably when the carbon nanoparticles are conjugated with the antibiotic tetracycline. In tetracycline‐resistant bacteria, these efficacies can approach tenfold higher activities when compared to tetracycline alone. No structural abnormality such as membrane disruptions is evident in the tested bacterial strains; this is in contrast with other nanocarbon systems such as graphene oxides, carbon nanotubes, and amine‐functionalized carbon nanoparticles which do exhibit membrane disruptions. In comparison, the tetracycline‐conjugated carbon nanoparticles induce membrane perturbations (but not membrane disruptions), inhibiting bacterial efflux mechanisms. It is proposed that when tetracycline is conjugated to the surface of carbon nanoparticles, it functions to direct the nanoparticles to membrane‐associated tetracycline efflux pumps, thereby blocking and subsequently inhibiting their function. The conjugation between biocompatible carbon nanoparticles and subtherapeutic but well‐established antibiotic molecules may provide hybrid antibiotic assembly strategies resulting in effective multidrug efflux inhibition for combating antibiotic resistance. Abstract : Nontoxic carbon‐based nanoparticles show no inhibitory effects against Gram‐negative bacteria. However, inhibitory efficacies substantially increase when the nanoparticles are conjugated with tetracycline, which is a subtherapeutic antibiotic. No structural abnormalities such as membrane disruptions are observable from the bacteria inhibiting antibacterial efflux, while the tethered tetracycline moieties to the carbon nanoparticles promote the efflux.