title: Sporicidal activity of ceragenin CSA-13 against Bacillus subtilis.
abstract: Spore-forming bacteria are a class of microorganisms that possess the ability to survive in extreme environmental conditions. Morphological features of spores assure their resistance to stress factors such as high temperature, radiation, disinfectants, and drying. Consequently, spore elimination in industrial and medical environments is very challenging. Ceragenins are a new class of cationic lipids characterized by a broad spectrum of bactericidal activity resulting from amphipathic nature and membrane-permeabilizing properties. To assess the impact of ceragenin CSA-13 on spores formed by Bacillus subtilis (ATCC 6051), we performed the series of experiments confirming that amphipathic and membrane-permeabilizing properties of CSA-13 are sufficient to disrupt the structure of B. subtilis spores resulting in decreased viability. Raman spectroscopy analysis provided evidence that upon CSA-13 treatment the number of CaDPA-positive spores was clearly diminished. As a consequence, a loss of impermeability of the inner membranes of spores, accompanied by a decrease in spore resistance and killing take place. In addition to their broad antimicrobial spectrum, ceragenins possess great potential for development as new sporicidal agents.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiological and Nanobiomedical Engineering, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland.
authors.forename: Ewelina
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Piktel
authors.affiliation: Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, PL31342 Krakow, Poland.
authors.forename: Katarzyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pogoda
authors.affiliation: Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, PL31342 Krakow, Poland.
authors.forename: Maciej
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Roman
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiological and Nanobiomedical Engineering, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland.
authors.forename: Katarzyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Niemirowicz
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontal and Oral Mucosa Diseases, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland.
authors.forename: Grażyna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tokajuk
authors.affiliation: Department of Dental Microbiology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.|Department of Microbiology, Central Clinical Hospital in Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wróblewska
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology and Embryology, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland.
authors.forename: Beata
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Szynaka
authors.affiliation: Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, PL31342 Krakow, Poland.
authors.forename: Wojciech M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Kwiatek
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, USA.
authors.forename: Paul B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Savage
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiological and Nanobiomedical Engineering, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bucki
mesh_terms: D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D004202:Disinfectants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D013059:Spectrum Analysis, Raman; D013171:Spores, Bacterial / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D013256:Steroids / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D004202:Disinfectants; D013256:Steroids; C521528:ceragenin CSA-13