AgNO3 dependant modulation of glucose mediated respiration kinetics in Escherichia coli at different pH and temperature

The inhibitory role of AgNO₃ on glucose‐mediated respiration in Escherichia coli has been investigated as a function of pH and temperature using Clark‐type electrode, environmental scanning electron microscopy, and computational tools. In the given concentration of bacterial suspension (1 × 10⁸ CFU/ml), E. coli showed an increasing nonlinear trend of tetra‐phasic respiration between 1–133 μM glucose concentration within 20 min. The glucose concentrations above 133 μM did not result any linear increment in respiration but rather showed a partial inhibition at higher glucose concentrations (266–1066 μM). In the presence of glucose, AgNO₃ caused a concentration‐dependent (47–1960 μM) inhibition of the respiration rate within 4 min of its addition. The respiration rate was the highest at pH 7–8 and then was decreased on either side of this pH range. The inhibitory action of AgNO₃ upon bacterial respiration was the highest at 37 °C. The observations of the respiration data were well supported by the altered bacterial morphology as observed in electron microscopic study. Docking study indicated the AgNO₃ binding to different amino acids of all respiratory complex enzymes in E. coli and thereby explaining its interference with the respiratory chain. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.