One pot synthesis and anti-biofilm potential of copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) against clinical strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an opportunistic pathogen frequently associated with nosocomial infections, is emerging as a serious threat due to its resistance to broad spectrum antimicrobials. The biofilm mode of growth confers resistance to antibiotics and novel anti-biofilm agents are urgently needed. Nanoparticle based treatments and therapies have been of recent interest because of their versatile applications. This study investigates the anti-biofilm activity of copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) synthesized by the one pot method against P. aeruginosa. Standard physical techniques including UV–visible and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy were used to characterize the synthesized CuNPs. CuNP treatments at 100 ng ml^?1 resulted in a 94, 89 and 92% reduction in biofilm, cell surface hydrophobicity and exopolysaccharides respectively, without bactericidal activity. Evidence of biofilm inhibition was also seen with light and confocal microscope analysis. This study highlights the anti-biofilm potential of CuNPs, which could be utilized as coating agents on surgical devices and medical implants to manage biofilm associated infections.     

Assessment of strains of Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato from Tanzania for resistance to copper and streptomycin

Abstract

Fifty-six strains of Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato (P.s. pv. tomato) were collected from tomato-producing areas in Tanzania and assessed for resistance to copper and antibiotics. The collection was done from three tomato-producing regions (Morogoro, Arusha and Iringa), representing three different ecological conditions in the country. After isolation and identification, the P. s. pv. tomato strains were grown on King's medium B (KB) amended with 20% copper sulphate (w/v). The strains were also assessed for resistance to antibiotics. Results indicated that there was widespread resistance of the P. s. pv. tomato strains to copper sulphate. The highest level of resistance was recorded from the Arusha region (Northern Tanzania), 83.3% of the P. s. pv. tomato strains from that region showed resistance to copper sulphate. This was followed by Iringa region (Southern Tanzania), from where strains of the pathogen were moderately resistant to copper sulphate, such that 54.0% of them were able to grow on the KB medium amended with 20% (w/v) of the copper compound.

Out of seven strains of P. s. pv. tomato from Morogoro region (Central Tanzania) included in the study, five (71.5%) were resistant to copper sulphate. The only strain of P. s. pv. tomato from the Dodoma region (Central Tanzania, but with a different ecological condition from the Morogoro region) included in the study was unable to grow on the medium containing 20% copper sulphate. None of the P. s. pv. tomato strains in the four regions included in the study were resistant to streptomycin sulphate. These results suggest that in the Arusha and Iringa regions of Tanzania, there might be possibilities of excessive use of copper compounds in tomato production, such that strains of P. s. pv. tomato strains in the areas have become resistant to the compounds.     

Extracellular biosynthesis of iron oxide nanoparticles by Bacillus subtilis strains isolated from rhizosphere soil

The biological synthesis of nanoparticles is emerging as a potential method for nanoparticle synthesis due to its non-toxicity and simplicity. We report the ability of Bacillus subtilis strains isolated from rhizosphere soil to produce iron oxide nanoparticles. B. subtilis strains having the potential for the extracellular biosynthesis of Fe₃O₄nanoparticles were isolated from rhizosphere soil, identified and characterized. A bactericidal protein subtilin was isolated from all the isolates of B. subtilis, which is a characteristic for the species. The isolated subtilin was tested against the bacterial strain, E. coli. The supernatant of the bacterial culture was used for the synthesis of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles. The formation of nanoparticles was assessed by using UV-Visible spectrophotometer. FTIR and SEM analysis were used in order to confirm the formation and size of the nanoparticles. Further, the effect of incubation time, pH, and temperature on the formation of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles was studied. The successful synthesis of stabilized Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles, which was capped by the organic group, indicates the applicability of the isolated B. subtilis strain for the bulk synthesis of iron oxide nanoparticles.     

Isolation and investigation of natural yeast strains resistant to heavy metal salts and radionuclides

The collection of yeasts (more than 2000 strains) from extreme natural environment of Kamchatka peninsular and Kuril Islands was created. 448 strains were selected for their resistance to salts of such heavy metals as Cu, Cd, Co and to high temperature (37-52 degrees C). 72% of strains appeared to be resistant to one or more selective factors. We obtained several strains able to grow on medium with 0.1 M/L nonradioactive strontium and (or) cesium. Four of this strains accumulated radioactive isotope 90Sr with 45-80% efficiency. Thus, we demonstrated that yeast strains from nature could be used for bioremediation of industrial waste solutions, polluted by radionuclides and salts of heavy metals.     

Assessing the impact of copper and zinc oxide nanoparticles on soil: a field study

It is not known if the annual production of tonnes of industrial nanoparticles (NPs) has the potential to impact terrestrial microbial communities, which are so necessary for ecosystem functioning. Here, we have examined the consequences of adding zero valent copper and zinc oxide NPs to soil in pots that were then maintained under field conditions. The fate of these NPs, as well as changes in the microbial communities, was monitored over 162 days. Both NP types traveled through the soil matrix, albeit at differential rates, with Cu NPs retained in the soil matrix at a higher rate compared to ZnO NPs. Leaching of Cu and Zn ions from the parent NPs was also observed as a function of time. Analysis of microbial communities using culture-dependent and independent methods clearly indicated that Cu and ZnO NPs altered the microbial community structure. In particular, two orders of organisms found in rhizosphere, Flavobacteriales and Sphingomonadales, appeared to be particularly susceptible to the presence of NPs. Together, the migration of NPs through soil matrix and the ability of these potential pollutants to influence the composition of microbial community in this field study, cannot help but raise some environmental concerns.     

Role of zinc oxide nanoparticles for effluent treatment using Pseudomonas putida and Pseudomonas aureofaciens

Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering - The biological treatment of textile effluent is enhanced by the use of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles for the reduction in chemical oxygen demand (COD) from...     

Isolation and characterization of heavy-metal resistant microbes from roadside soil and phylloplane

Contamination by heavy metals is one of the major environmental problems in many countries and these contaminants reach from various sources such as traffic cars and other activities. Soil and phylloplane samples were collected from eight traffic and two non-traffic sites in Sohag city, Egypt. Heavy metal contents of Cd2?, Zn2? and Pb2? of soil and phylloplane samples were determined and revealed high levels of Zn2? and Pb2? in traffic samples. A total of 112 bacterial and 62 fungal isolates were obtained from soil and phylloplane. Bacterial isolates were characterized on the basis of morphological, physicochemical and biochemical characteristics; and 16S rRNA gene sequences. Fungal isolates were identified according to morphological characterization. Minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of Cd2?, Zn2? and Pb2? for each isolate were detected. All bacterial and fungal isolates demonstrated resistance to lead with MICs >0.528 mM and >0.211, respectively. Moreover, the maximum MICs of cadmium and zinc for bacteria were 0.821 mM and 1.471 mM, respectively, where as, MICs for fungi were 0.328 mM and 0.588 mM, respectively. The most resistant bacterial and fungal isolates were Pseudomonas aeruginosa RA65 and Penicillium corylophyllum, respectively. Therefore, P. aeruginosa RA65 was selected for further investigations. Growth curve study showed that 0.264 mM lead had no efficiently effect on the growth of P. aeruginosa RA65. Plasmid isolation evidenced by transformation studies indicated that P. aeruginosa RA65 harbored a single plasmid (~9.5 kb) which mediated heavy meal resistance. Consequently, these microbial isolates could be potentially used in bioremediation of heavy metal-contaminated environment.     

Transferable amikacin and cefamandole resistance: Pseudomonas maltophilia and Acinetobacter strains as possible reservoirs of R plasmids

Three strains belonging to gramnegative non-fermenting rods, i.e. a Pseudomonas maltophilia strain and two strains of Acinetobacter, were tested, as representatives of different types of nosocomial strains, for transferability of their multiple drug resistance. As all of them posed difficulties in demonstrating the transferability of their resistance by conventional methods, a three-step procedure was developed that includes a transfer to rifampicin-resistant P. aeruginosa recipients, then to susceptible P. aeruginosa intermediate strains, and, finally, from these strains to rifampicin-resistant Enterobacteriaceae. In three strains studied three genetically different types of R plasmids have been demonstrated. P. maltophilia transferred Amikacin resistance, as well as resistance to other antibiotics, to P. aeruginosa and then to Enterobacteria. In contrast, an Amikacin-resistant Acinetobacter with quite identical multiple drug resistance spectrum transferred its resistance to P. aeruginosa only, but not to Enterobacteria. Finally, another Acinetobacter strain, resistant to Gentamicin but susceptible to Amikacin transferred this resistance directly to Enterobacteria (and, separately, to P. aeruginosa, too). All three strains transferred Cefamandole resistance together with other resistances. Non-fermenting rods, thus, might be a source of transmissible resistance to reserve antibiotics as Amikacin, and advanced-type Cephalosporins.     

Synergistic effects of zinc oxide nanoparticles and various antibiotics combination against Pseudomonas aeruginosa clinically isolated bacterial strains

P. aeruginosa causes mostly both community-acquired and nosocomial infections, which leads to serious therapeutic challenges for treatment and requirement of appropriate therapeutic agent is needed which can combat antibiotic resistance. The research work was performed to investigate the effect of Zinc Oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) in combination with Meropenem, Ciprofloxacin, and Colistin against clinical isolated strains of P. aeruginosa and ATCC 27853 strain.The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of ZnO NPs and the antibiotics (Meropenem, Ciprofloxacin, and Colistin), was determined by the microdilution method and the results of MIC values were ranging between 1 and 16 µg/mL was found to be shown for antibiotics and ZnO NPs found to showed highest MIC values ranging from 2000 to 4000 µg/mL. The fractional inhibitory concentration index (FICI) was calculated using checkerboard method to test the combinations of ZnO NPs and the antibiotics (Meropenem, Ciprofloxacin, and Colistin), and among all the six P. aeruginosa clinical isolated strains P. aeruginosa (MRO-16-3 and MRO-16-4), showed FICI as 0.24 and 0.39 9, whereas P. aeruginosa ATCC 27853 strain showed FICI as 0.41 which indicates synergistic effect with Colistin.The time kill growth curve showed synergistic effect for the combination of Colistin and ZnO NPs against P. aeruginosa (MRO-16-3 and MRO-16-) strains. P. aeruginosa (MRO-16-3) was found to be highly sensitive to Colistin with an MIC of 2 µg/mL, which has shown to reduced bacterial growth to zero colonies after 24 h of incubation.In conclusion, combination of Colistin and ZnO NPs at appropriate dosage intervals might be beneficial as using therapeutic agent in treatment of P. aeruginosa ailments.     

Isolation and characterization of an alginase from mucoid strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa which produce an alginate-like slime polysaccharide were shown to also synthesize an intracellular enzyme which can degrade these polysaccharides and the seaweed alginic acids. The enzyme acts as an eliminase introducing delta 4,5 unsaturation into the uronic acid moiety. It appears to be a polymannuronide lyase which degrades the polysaccharides, depending on their uronic acid composition, to a series of oligosaccharides, the smallest of which is a disaccharide. L-Guluronic acid linkages are not split. The Pseudomonas alginase resembles other bacterial alginases and enzymes from molluscs but differs in some important properties, such as extent of degradation and linkage preference. Nonmucoid forms of the organism produce detectable but much lower amounts of enzyme.     

Runoff losses of Pseudomonas aureofaciens (lacZY) from soil

Abstract: Leaching of genetically modified microorganisms (GMMs) through soil profiles is generally not a significant concern, since GMMs typically remain near the soil surface following application. The presence of high numbers of GMMs at the soil surface, however, suggests that losses via runoff may occur. Traditional methods of plating nonlabeled bacteria lack precision and are thus seldom used to monitor runoff losses. To examine whether lac ZY, a common genetic marker, could be used to evaluate bacterial runoff from soil, a lac ZY⁺ strain of Pseudomonas aureofaciens 3732 RN-L11 was used at three different pH levels, with and without wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) cover in a greenhouse experiment. Twelve times over a 245 day period, soils were subjected to simulated rainfall of 84 mm h⁻¹ for a 15 min duration. Runoff losses and survival were quantified at each time. Pseudomonas aureofaciens survived for the longest period at a soil pH of 7; survival was reduced at lower pHs. The number of cells in runoff were usually related to the number of cells surviving in the soil. When high soil populations were present, runoff losses often exceeded 10¹⁰ cfu event⁻¹. When the soil population declined to low or undetectable levels, the runoff contained fewer organisms. Runoff losses of 10⁸ cfu event⁻¹, however, were observed during one runoff event even when the soil population was below the detection limit. This study indicates that lac ZY is an effective marker, and that runoff of GMMs may be an important mechanism for movement to nontarget environments.     

食品污染克罗诺杆菌(阪崎肠杆菌)的分离及鉴定

[目的]对300份奶粉样品和50份非奶粉类食品中克罗诺杆菌的污染情况做定量检测,并对分离得到的克罗诺杆菌进行鉴定.[方法]通过分子方法和9管法对奶粉和其他食品中克罗诺杆菌的污染情况做定量检测;通过吲哚产生、丙二酸盐利用、卫矛醇、肌醇、松三糖和松二糖发酵产酸等六种生化试验对分离株进行鉴定;同时对分离株的16S rRNA基因序列进行同源性分析,通过N-J(Neighbour-Joining)法构建系统发育树.[结果]定量检测结果表明,350份样品中有23份样品分离出克罗诺杆菌,共分离到24株克罗诺杆菌,检出率为6.6％;23份受污染样品中有4个样品的克罗诺杆菌大于100 MPN/100g;24株克罗诺杆菌被鉴定到种或亚种,其中19株为阪崎克罗诺杆菌(Cronobacter sakazakii);2株为丙二酸盐克罗诺杆菌(C.malonaticus);2株为都柏林克罗诺杆菌奶粉亚种(C.dublinensis subsp.lactaridi);1株为莫金斯克罗诺杆菌(C.muytjensii).[结论]分子方法和9管法联用适合污染率低而定量检测要求高的克罗诺杆菌的奶粉调查;采用生化和分子生物学方法将24株分离株鉴定到种或亚种,其中阪崎克罗诺杆菌为优势种;奶粉中克罗诺杆菌的污染问题对婴幼儿安全存在隐患,应引起消费者和有关部门的重视.     

Effect of copper (II) on survival of Pseudomonas fluorescens and transfer of plasmid RP4 in soil

Survival of Pseudomonas fluorescens (R2f, RP4), P. fluorescens (R2f) and plasmid RP4 transfer efficiency depended on the concentration of Cu (II) and the time of incubation. The indigenous heterotrophic bacteria were more tiolerant to Cu (II) than the introduced strains. Although transconjugants were present for the first 3 days, the frequencies of conjugation and absence of transconjugants at 14 days indicate that conjugation occurred early in the incubation and that transconjugants were unable to survive for very long.The author is with the Department of Microbiology, Sllesian University, Jagiellonska 28, 40-032 Katowice, Poland     

Degradation of 3-phenoxybenzoic acid in soil by Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes POB310(pPOB) and two modified Pseudomonas strains.

Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes POB310(pPOB) and Pseudomonas sp. strains B13-D5(pD30.9) and B13-ST1(pPOB) were introduced into soil microcosms containing 3-phenoxybenzoic acid (3-POB) in order to evaluate and compare bacterial survival, degradation of 3-POB, and transfer of plasmids to a recipient bacterium. Strain POB310 was isolated for its ability to use 3-POB as a growth substrate; degradation is initiated by POB-dioxygenase, an enzyme encoded on pPOB. Strain B13-D5 contains pD30.9, a cloning vector harboring the genes encoding POB-dioxygenase; strain B13-ST1 contains pPOB. Degradation of 3-POB in soil by strain POB310 was incomplete, and bacterial densities decreased even under the most favorable conditions (100 ppm of 3-POB, supplementation with P and N, and soil water-holding capacity of 90%). Strains B13-D5 and B13-ST1 degraded 3-POB (10 to 100 ppm) to concentrations of <50 ppb with concomitant increases in density from 10(6) to 10(8) CFU/g (dry weight) of soil. Thus, in contrast to strain POB310, the modified strains had the following two features that are important for in situ bioremediation: survival in soil and growth concurrent with removal of an environmental contaminant. Strains B13-D5 and B13-ST1 also completely degraded 3-POB when the inoculum was only 30 CFU/g (dry weight) of soil. This suggests that in situ bioremediation may be effected, in some cases, with low densities of introduced bacteria. In pure culture, transfer of pPOB from strains POB310 and B13-ST1 to Pseudomonas sp. strain B13 occurred at frequencies of 5 x 10(-7) and 10(-1) transconjugant per donor, respectively. Transfer of pPOB from strain B13-ST1 to strain B13 was observed in autoclaved soil but not in nonautoclaved soil; formation of transconjugant bacteria was more rapid in soil containing clay and organic matter than in sandy soil. Transfer of pPOB from strain POB310 to strain B13 in soil was never observed.     

西藏土壤中耐辐射阿氏芽胞杆菌T61的分离和鉴定

【目的】对分离自西藏土样的菌株T61进行分离、鉴定和UV辐射抗性分析。【方法】对菌株T61进行形态和生理生化鉴定;对16S r RNA基因进行克隆和测序,构建系统进化树;测定脂肪酸成分和GC含量,将T61与最相近种进行DNA-DNA杂交;测定T61的UV辐射抗性曲线。【结果】T61细胞杆状,长度约为2μm,直径约为1μm,革兰氏阳性,可产生内生孢子。G+C含量为38.02%。脂肪酸主要成分是C14:0 iso、C15:0 iso和C15:0 anteiso。16S r RNA基因与阿氏芽胞杆菌B8W22T和巨大芽胞杆菌IAM13418T相似度最高,分别达到99.93%和99.53%。DNA-DNA杂交分析表明,T61与阿氏芽胞杆菌B8W22T的相似度为81.4%,而与巨大芽胞杆菌IAM13418T的相似度只有50.3%。UV辐射抗性分析显示,T61 D10为100 J/m2,远高于辐射敏感的大肠杆菌K12和枯草芽孢杆菌等菌株。【结论】菌株T61是一株阿氏芽胞杆菌,命名为Bacillus aryabhattai T61,其对UV辐射具有较强的抗性。     

Isolation and characterization of mutants resistant to amino acid analogues obtained from Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains

Mutants resistant to the amino acid analogues dl-thiaisoleucine, dl-4-azaleucine, 5,5,5-trifluoro-dl-leucine and l-O-methylthreonine, were isolated from Saccharomyces cerevisiae wine yeast strains. The fermentative production of secondary metabolites by the mutants was tested in grape must. Higher alcohols, acetaldehyde and acetic acid concentration varied depending on strain and analogue. Most of the mutants produced increased amounts of amyl alcohol. A remarkable variability in the level of n-propanol, isobutanol, acetaldehyde and acetic acid was observed. In practical application, the use of mutants resistant to amino acid analogues can improve the quality of wines by reducing or increasing the presence of some secondary compounds.