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. 2022 Nov 15;8(11):e11632.
doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e11632. eCollection 2022 Nov.

Exposure to metal nanoparticles changes zeta potentials of Rhodococcus cells

Maria S Kuyukina  1   2 , Marina V Makarova  1 , Olga N Pistsova  1 , Grigorii G Glebov  1   2 , Mikhail A Osipenko  3 , Irena B Ivshina  1   2
Affiliations

Exposure to metal nanoparticles changes zeta potentials of Rhodococcus cells

Maria S Kuyukina et al. Heliyon. .

Abstract

Nanoparticles (NPs) of transition metals and their oxides are widely used in industries and exhibit diverse biological activities - from antimicrobial to growth promoting and regulating biofilms. In this study, the concentration-dependent effects of negatively charged metal and metal oxide NPs on the viability and net surface charge of Rhodococcus cells were revealed. Our hypothesis that zeta potential values of bacterial cells approach the zeta potential of NPs with an increase in the concentration of nanoparticles was statistically validated, thus suggesting the accumulation of nanoparticles on the cell surface. Thus, based on the dynamics of zeta potential, it would be possible to predict the accumulation of metal NPs on the cell surface of particular Rhodococcus species. It seemed that more toxic nanometals (e.g. CuO) accumulate more intensively on the bacterial cell wall than less toxic nanometals (Bi, Ni and Co). Physical properties of NPs, such as shape, size, dispersity and zeta potential, were characterized at different nanoparticle concentrations, in order to explain their diverse effects on bacterial viability, cellular charge and adhesion to hydrocarbons. Interestingly, an increase in Rhodococcus adhesion to n-hexadecane was observed in the presence of Cu and CuO NPs, while treatment with Fe3O4 NPs resulted in a decrease in the adhesive activity. The obtained data help to clarify the mechanisms of nano-bio interaction and make it possible to select metal and metal oxide nanoparticles to modify the surface of bacterial cells without toxic effects.

Keywords: Actinobacteria; Adhesion; Hydrophobicity; Metal nanoparticles; Rhodococcus; Zeta potential.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Image 1
Graphical abstract
Figure 1
Figure 1
Size and PDI values of metal nanoparticles determined by dynamic light scattering, depending on the concentration of NPs.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Correlation between zeta potential and PDI values of metal NPs depending on their concentrations.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Effects of metal NPs on the viability of Rhodococcus cells (mean values for each Rhodococcus species are shown).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Changes in the cellular charge (zeta potential) of Rhodococcus at different concentrations of metal NPs.
Figure 5
Figure 5
AFM images of Rhodococcus cells incubated in the presence of metal NPs: R. rhodochrous IEGM 1363 with CuO NPs (a); R. jostii IEGM 458 with Ni NPs (b); R. ruber IEGM 628 with Fe3O4 NPs (c); R. ruber IEGM 628 with NiO NPs (d); R. erythropolis IEGM IEGM 693 with Co NPs (e); R. rhodochrous IEGM 1161 with Bi NPs (f).
Figure 6
Figure 6
Correlation between the zeta potential of Rhodococcus cells and PDI values of metal NPs.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Effects of metal NPs on the Rhodococcus adhesion to n-hexadecane.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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