Dataset Information

Silver nanoparticles exert concentration-dependent influences on biofilm development and architecture.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

To investigate the impact of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) on the biofilm growth and architecture.

Materials and methods

Silver nitrate was reduced by d-maltose to prepare AgNPs in the presence of ammonia and sodium hydroxide. The physicochemical properties of AgNPs were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The development of biofilm with and without AgNPs was explored by crystal violet stain. The structures of mature biofilm were visually studied by confocal laser scanning microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Bacterial cell, polysaccharide and protein within biofilm were assessed quantitatively by colony-counting method, phenol-sulphuric acid method and Bradford assay, respectively.

Results

The spherical AgNPs (about 30 nm) were successfully synthesized. The effect of AgNPs on Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm development was concentration-dependent. Biofilm was more resistant to AgNPs than planktonic cells. Low doses of AgNPs exposure remarkably delayed the growth cycle of biofilm, whereas high concentration (18 μg/mL) of AgNPs fully prevented biofilm development. The analysis of biofilm architecture at the mature stage demonstrated that AgNPs exposure at all concentration led to significant decrease of cell viability within treated biofilms. However, sublethal doses of AgNPs increased the production of both polysaccharide and protein compared to control, which significantly changed the biofilm structure.

Conclusions

AgNPs exert concentration-dependent influences on biofilm development and structure, which provides new insight into the role of concentration played in the interaction between antibacterial nanoparticles and biofilm, especially, an ignored sublethal concentration associated with potential unintended consequences.

SUBMITTER: Guo J

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6668980 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:BACKGROUND:Dimorphism and biofilm formation are important virulence factors of some opportunistic human pathogenic yeasts. Such species commensally colonize skin or mucosal surfaces generally in yeast form, but under particular circumstances, convert into virulent hyphae and disseminate internal organs or cause mucocutaneous infections. The yeast-to-hypha shape-conversion promotes the development of a biofilm, a thick extracellular matrix with sessile cells within. The biofilm is capable to prevent the penetration of antifungal drugs, rendering the surviving biofilm-resident cells intrinsic sources of recurrent infections. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) to attenuate the morphological switch and biofilm formation of several opportunistic pathogenic yeasts and to determine whether this feature depends on the nanoparticle size. RESULTS:AgNPs in three different sizes were prepared by chemical reduction approach and characterized by transmission electron microscopy, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy and dynamic light scattering. The antifungal activity was evaluated by the microdilution method, the inhibitory capacity on biofilm formation and the biofilm degradation ability of differently sized AgNPs was assessed by viability assay. The morphological state of opportunistic pathogenic yeast cells in monoculture and in co-culture with human keratinocytes in the presence of AgNPs was examined by flow cytometry and scanning electron microscopy. All the three AgNPs inhibited the growth of the examined opportunistic pathogenic yeasts, nevertheless, AgNPs with the smallest diameter exhibited the most prominent toxic activities. AgNPs attenuated the biofilm formation in a nanoparticle size-dependent manner; however, their biofilm destruction capacity was negligible. AgNPs with the smallest size exerted the most significant effect on suppressing the morphological change of pathogens in monoculture as well as in a co-culture with keratinocytes. CONCLUSIONS:Our results confirm that AgNPs are capable to hinder yeast-to-hypha morphological conversion and biofilm formation of opportunistic pathogens and this biological effect of AgNPs is size-dependent.