title: Atomic force microscopy investigation of the characteristic effects of silver ions on Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus epidermidis.
abstract: The influence of silver ions on Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus epidermidis has been investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Both single cell and cell communities were visualized, and the nanoscale ultrastructure images of these two bacteria strains before and after stimulation of silver ions were obtained. The results showed that in the case of E. coli after treatment with silver ions, vesicles appeared on the cell walls, and the size of vesicles became larger with the increase of the incubation time. However, in the case of S. epidermidis after treatment with silver ions, irregular and deep grooves appeared on the cell walls, and the cytoplasm membrane shrank and became separated from the cell wall. The significant differences in cell wall changes between E. coli and S. epidermidis after treatment with silver ions were related to their structural characters. According to those results, it is shown that AFM can provide new insight into the antimicrobial mechanism of silver ions, and show a new methodological approach to understand the relationship between structure and function of microbial cell when it was exposed to external stimulation.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Engineering Center for Biomedicine, Key Laboratory for Bio-Nanotechnology and Molecular Engineering of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Yuelu-Qu, Changsha, PR China.
authors.forename: Xiaohai
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Wenjuan
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Huimin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Kemin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Liu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion / Q000187:drug effects*; D002473:Cell Wall / Q000187:drug effects; D002623:Chemistry Techniques, Analytical; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000187:drug effects; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects*; D007477:Ions; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force / Q000379:methods*; D012834:Silver / Q000737:chemistry*; D013212:Staphylococcus epidermidis / Q000187:drug effects*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D007477:Ions; D012834:Silver