title: Electrically conductive bacterial nanowires in bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw biofilms.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Bacterial biofilms play a role in the pathogenesis of bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (BRONJ). The purpose of this preliminary study was to test the hypothesis that the extracellular filaments observed in biofilms associated with BRONJ contain electrically conductive nanowires.
  
  
  METHODS
  Bone samples of patients affected by BRONJ were evaluated for conductive nanowires by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and conductive probe atomic force microscopy (CP-AFM). We created nanofabricated electrodes to measure electrical transport along putative nanowires.
  
  
  RESULTS
  SEM revealed large-scale multispecies biofilms containing numerous filamentous structures throughout necrotic bone. CP-AFM analysis revealed that these structures were electrically conductive nanowires with resistivities on the order of 20 Ω·cm. Nanofabricated electrodes spaced along the nanowires confirmed their ability to transfer electrons over micron-scale lengths.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Electrically conductive bacterial nanowires to date have been described only in environmental isolates. This study shows for the first time that these nanowires can also be found in clinically relevant biofilm-mediated diseases, such as BRONJ, and may represent an important target for therapy.
authors.affiliation: Electromicrobiology Group, J. Craig Venter Institute, San Diego, California, USA.
authors.forename: Greg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wanger
authors.forename: Yuri
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gorby
authors.forename: Mohamed Y
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: El-Naggar
authors.forename: Thomas D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Yuzvinsky
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schaudinn
authors.forename: Amita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gorur
authors.forename: Parish P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Sedghizadeh
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D018441:Biofilms; D059266:Bisphosphonate-Associated Osteonecrosis of the Jaw / Q000382:microbiology*; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007568:Jaw / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008297:Male; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D008875:Middle Aged; D053770:Nanowires